The Rise of the Quirkless Hero
by Smash Alexandros
Summary: Izuku was born quirkless, but dreams of joining the prestigious U.A High School to become the world's #1 Hero. One fateful day, he finally finds a way in- The Support Class! With the help of his new friend Mei Hatsume, Izuku will try to rise up against all odds and become the greatest Hero! (Now past the Stain arc!) (Lots of OC's due to unexplored Support Class lore.)
1. What It Takes To Be a Hero

_**A/N: Hey all! This is my first My Hero fanfic, so I hope you all enjoy this little idea I've cooked up. Should be a long one!**_

_**As far as when it'll be updated... I'd like to aim for one chapter a week at the minimum, but no guarantees. I'd definitely like to keep it quality if I can. But anyways, please drop a Review if you would, and thanks!**_

**A/N from the Future:**** There's a recap of the first 18 chapters at well if you want to hop in to the current story beats quicker! :)**

* * *

**The Rise of the Quirkless Hero**

**Chapter One: What it Takes(To Be a Hero)**

_Not all men are created equal..._

This was what quirkless Izuku Midoriya had learned in his younger years, from constant bullying by his super-powered peers, something that could have easily led him down a path of weakness and self-doubt... But that was the last era of his life that he would allow himself to be powerless.

In a world where most people had some sort of special ability, Izuku, known to most in his class as 'Deku', could only work hard and strive for his dreams to come true-

Well, that's how it _should_ have gone, at least.

"If you wanna be a hero that badly, there's a quick way to do it- Believe that you'll be born with a quirk in the next life, and take a last chance dive off of the roof!"

The words of his Middle School bully, and childhood friend, Katsuki Bakugo taunted him as they stood in their homeroom class after everyone else had left for the day. Izuku tightened his fists, looking down at the floor, not saying anything as the blond-haired boy and his two followers left the room with laughs and snarky remarks.

"Kacchan..." Izuku felt powerless, like always, only able to imagine the harrowing defeat by Bakugo's explosion quirk as he fought to hold back tears.

The fear and the taunting were something Izuku had gotten used to, though they still stabbed his heart like always. He walked towards the open window and looked down, not seeing any sign of his notebook that Bakugo had thrown out.

After gathering himself, Izuku made his way outside towards the back of the school building, searching for his journal, which he called his 'Hero Analysis for the Future'. It contained all of his work and studies on heroes and quirks he had encountered or seen, and it felt like his one and only edge over those around him.

_Where did it go...? _Disheartened, Izuku gazed into the coy pond there that the students kept up with, not seeing it within the water as the large fish circled around each other.

"Ehh... This is some detailed stuff," came a girl's voice from behind him. "You wrote this right? You must be trying to get an edge on the competition early!"

Izuku jumped in surprise, nearly falling back into the pond and having to flail to stop himself, breathing heavily as he looked at the person who had spoken, too fearful to even hear what she was saying at that moment.

The girl had fair skin that was covered in soot and dust, with thick pink dreadlocks, wearing a simple black sleeveless tee and baggy tan pants. She closed the journal and smirked at Izuku, her yellow eyes piercing him through the shadows.

"W-Who are you? You're not in a uniform...?" Izuku looked around nervously, confusion overwriting his fear.

"The name's Mei Hatsume," the girl said, tossing the journal to Izuku suddenly, who gasped and fumbled with it, barely able to catch it and stop it from falling into the pond. Mei approached Izuku suddenly, looming over him. He held the journal in front of his face, nervously looking up at the girl who seemed to be examining him. "What's your quirk anyways? Something that analyzes? Copies maybe?~"

"I- Uh..." Izuku looked away, not exactly sure what to say. "W-well I'm Izuku Midoriya, and I... er..."

Mei got closer, uncomfortably close for Izuku, who couldn't help but tremble a bit as the strange girl's face was just inches away from his. Then, the girl took a step back and shrugged.

"It's no use, you've got a good poker face. If you don't wanna tell me that's fine I guess," she said, turning and starting to walk away.

Izuku let out a sigh of relief, turning to watch Mei as she knelt down beside a nearby bush that seemed to be charred, as if a fire had been put out on it recently. Curious, Izuku walked closer, still trying to keep a bit of a distance between himself and Mei.

"Um... What happened?"

Mei seemed to pay him no mind as she began to pick up charred pieces of metal, examining them and then dropping them again. After a while, she sighed and stood up, shaking her head.

"No use, it's all done for. Oh well, I'm sure my experiment #32 will go much better," Mei said to herself confidently.

"Experiment...?" Izuku looked from the messy girl to the charred bush. "A-Are you an inventor, or scientist, or something?"

"Something like that," the pink-haired girl confirmed, turning to Izuku with a confident smile. "This baby right here was my new propulsion tech, but it kind of... Blew me across town to right here!"

_A-Across town?! _Izuku took a step back from the obviously dangerous girl, who tilted her head a bit at the notion, confused.

"Do you go to school here? I heard there's some strong hero candidates here!" Mei looked up at the school building, nodding as if confirming it to herself. "I won't let them get all the glory though- I'm going to be entering U.A's Support division and I'm going to get _loaded_!"

Those words surprised Izuku, who clutched his journal tighter in his hands. "Y-You're going to attend U.A?"

Mei cracked her gloved knuckles and smirked, before thumbing to herself. "That's right! I haven't stopped inventing things since I was little. I need all those juicy resources they have at the school to make as many babies as I want!"

_B-Babies…? _"I-I see, so that's another path you can take..." Izuku thought for a moment. He had heard of the Business and Support students of U.A, but it was tough to get much information about it, especially when most of the public eye was focused on the Hero Course.

Snapping Izuku out of his thoughts, Mei spoke, "Well, your notes gave me some new ideas for sure, so I'll definitely need to make some adjustments." She sighed, holding her gloved hands out towards the burnt bush, clicking her middle fingers to her palm. Izuku watched with interest, jumping a bit as, suddenly, the metal pieces of scrap all flew towards the gloves and stuck to them, leaving her with big piles of metal covering her hands. "Welp... See ya!"

Izuku watched as Mei started to trudge off, obviously struggling from the weight of the metal weighing down her arms, her legs visibly shaking a bit. Conflicted, Izuku looked down at his journal, which was slightly scuffed and burnt from when Bakugo had messed with it earlier.

_Support class, huh, _he thought. It was something different, something more realistic perhaps... Could he still become the hero he wants to be if he pursued such a thing?

"Um-" Izuku looked up, and screamed in shock as he saw that Mei was now face-down on the ground, passed out. "M-Mei?!"

* * *

About half an hour later, Izuku was walking away from the school grounds with Mei, each holding a cardboard box he had grabbed from the school supplies so they could easily carry the scrap metal from her failed experiment.

"I guess I haven't slept in a while, that was a great power nap though," was all Mei could say about her passing out, seemingly uncaring about her health, more focused on her inventions to come.

Izuku glanced over at her in disbelief, but he couldn't help but smile a bit at her dedication. This kind of thing had been her whole life's work, and she wasn't going to let anything get in the way of her goals, not even practical things like sleep. He respected that, but it brought up a burning question.

The two arrived to a small pedestrian tunnel that ran underneath a bridge. Izuku stopped for a second, and Mei paused, looking back to him.

"D-Do you have a quirk, Mei?"

The girl blinked at Izuku, silent for a moment, before laughing. "Of course I do! I might have my super cute babies I make, but no way would I try for U.A without a quirk!"

"S-Super cute babies?" Izuku looked down at the scraps in the box, a bit confused. _She __called them babies or something earlier too..._

"My inventions are what'll get me into U.A, but enhancing quirks is a major part of being a true Support," Mei explained a bit, raising a hand for emphasis, clenching it into a fist. "So what better way than finding ways to enhance your own quirk as well! Right?"

"R-Right," Izuku said softly, feeling himself sweating a bit, unable to admit the truth to the girl, wondering if it was even worth asking her anything else when he knew she would only make fun of him when she found out the truth.

They continued on into the tunnel, Izuku a few paces behind Mei, looking down at the box of scraps as he was lost in thought, thinking about everything- Then he ended up bumping into Mei, panicking a bit as he snapped back to reality.

"W-What is it?" Izuku looked at Mei, then looked past her, his eyes widening at what was ahead of them.

A moving mass of what appeared to be dark-green sludge was emerging from a sewer grate, forming into a large intelligent mass. A set of sharp teeth and big round eyes began to emerge on its head as it let out a loud groan.

"Jeez, what bad luck, running into that hero-"

As the sludge spoke, it turned its gaze down the tunnel, seeing the two standing there staring at him. He let out a wicked chuckle, as Izuku's face turned to one of pure terror.

"Oh, maybe my luck's turning around- A couple here for me to use as a disguise~!"

"C-Couple?!" Izuku was frightened by the appearance of the monster before them, but he still couldn't help the outburst. "A...V-Villain...!"

Without any thought, Izuku turned and began to flee, screaming for his life. However, after only a few steps, something clicked and made him slide to a stop, looking back. There, he saw Mei, still not moving, as the large sludge villain jolted and flew right at them.

"Mei! Run-" Izuku tried to yell to the girl, but by the time he said it, the mass was already upon her.

What Izuku couldn't see at that moment was Mei's big smile and confident expression, completely devoid of fear as the mass of sludge tried to slam down onto her. She leaned back, completely letting go of her balance as if doing a trust-fall.

"Watch out!" As she called this out, Izuku was surprised when Mei clicked her heels together, and an explosion of force emitted from her boots.

Izuku could only watch in shock as Mei flew right at him, slamming into him and sending them tumbling back towards the opposite end of the tunnel, the boxes of scraps they were holding flying all over the place. The sludge villain was surprised by this, looking at them with a scowl.

"Is that one a Hero? No way, she's too young- But she's definitely the body I should take over!"

With a groan, Izuku gathered himself and sat up a bit. He was on his back, with something heavy on top of him- He gasped, making a comically shocked expression.

"M-Mei, b-boo-" Izuku couldn't even finish the sentence as Mei lifted her head and looked up at him, blinking in confusion, giving a smile, not even noticing the fact that her chest was pressed firmly against Izuku, her cleavage slightly visible to him.

"Thanks for the soft landing! But we should really get outta here," Mei commented, rolling off of Izuku and getting up to her feet quick. She grabbed his wrist and forced him up, starting to run.

"As if I'd let you get away," the sludge villain called, shooting a tendril out at a lightning-fast speed. The sludgy tendril wrapped around Izuku's leg, pulling him out of Mei's grasp and reeling him in quickly.

"Midoriya?" Mei turned and saw as the boy was dragged into the mass of sludge, many tendrils beginning to grab him and pull him in, a larger one pushing into his mouth, muffling his screams as he tried to thrash and kick.

"Hey hey kid, it'll all be over in 45 seconds, just let me take over your body ey," the villain spoke with a cackle, as he drove the tendril into Izuku's throat slowly.

_S-Somebody help... Agh... _His fighting began to wane as he realized he was powerless. His vision was going blurry, but he could see that Mei was no longer standing where she had been before. _S-she ran? That's good.. At least... I'll be the only one who-_

Something suddenly slammed into them. It was barely enough of a force to make the sludge jiggle, as the villain looked over to see that it was Mei, her boots propelling her into the mass, though it wasn't making it move at all.

_N-No way! She's still here? _Izuku thought as he looked over at her, trying to reach his hand out towards her, but he was being pulled into the sludge further and further.

"Oh, perfect! You're the one I really wanted," the villain said happily. Suddenly, Izuku was expunged from the sludge, gasping as he was sent tumbling to the ground. He shakily got up onto his hands and knees and looked up, seeing Mei being sucked slowly into the mass of sludge, her boots starting to spark and sputter out as they broke from overuse.

"D-Dang, all I have are prototypes on me, this isn't-" Mei moved her head to avoid an oncoming tendril from entering her mouth, doing her best to try and fight off the villain, though she was slowly being dragged into it. "I need… To get back… To my… Babies!"

Izuku had never felt so powerless, staring down a villain like this. He not only was quirkless, but he was _literally_ powerless; his legs were shaking and he couldn't find the strength to stand any longer.

So Izuku did all he could, mustering up the energy to yell.

"S-Somebody! Help!"

After his voice echoed a few times through the tunnel, a loud clang of metal erupted from the opposite entrance. The sludge villain turned his attention there, his eyes widening as he saw a familiar figure beginning to rise from the sewer grate.

"It's okay, young ones. I am here!"

The voice was booming and powerful, and Izuku recognized it instantly, his eyes widening. He found the will to stand, though shaky, and looked past the sludge villain, seeing the figure he had always admired standing there.

All Might wore his usual confident demeanor and his signature strong smile as he analyzed the situation, seeing the helpless children and the disgusting monster that was handling them.

"You...! You're so persistent," the sludge villain yelled out with rage.

In the blink of an eye, he lashed out across the tunnel at All Might with one his tendrils, slicing through concrete as the hero ducked down to avoid it. The villain's eyes widened in surprise, as before he could even move again, All Might was rushing towards him.

"Texas..." All Might's right arm reared back, the immense power building within him making the wind swirl around. As he brought it forward and he completed his yell, the wind swirled and shot out down the tunnel with hurricane-levels of force, "SMAAAAAASH!"

All Might's fist didn't even make contact with the sludgy villain before he had been broken apart into hundreds of pieces that splattered all around the tunnel, absorbing almost all of the force of the wind. Mei, now released, fell to the ground- Though, luckily, Izuku had managed to hold his ground and jumped forward to catch her. He wasn't really strong enough to catch her in his arms, so he just simply slid beneath her and let her land on his back, making him grunt in pain.

"Ah, thanks!" Mei smirked down at Izuku, still sitting on his back. He lifted his hand in a weak thumbs up.

When Izuku looked up, he couldn't contain a gasp as he saw All Might, the idol he had looked up to for as long as he could remember, approaching them.

"Ah, I'm sorry for getting you two caught up in my villain fighting," the man spoke, his big grin never fading. "Are you alright?"

Izuku yelped as the weight of Mei lifted from him, as she stood and sort of mock saluted to All Might, nodding her head.

"We're fine! Right, Midoriya?"

Izuku slowly stood up, nodding and hesitantly raising his gaze towards All Might. "R-Right..."

"Well that's a relief!" All Might nodded and looked at the sludge all around the tunnel. "If you don't mind, I need to collect this guy real quick."

* * *

It didn't take All Might long to collect the sludge villain; In fact, he had finished a couple of minutes before Mei and Izuku could collect her invention scraps back into the boxes.

When they emerged from the tunnel, they were slightly surprised to see All Might waiting for them.

"I'll send someone to clean up the rest of the mess in there," All Might spoke, letting out a hearty laugh as he struck a sort of a pose. "I don't usually have problems with weak villains like this! I was too busy enjoying a new place and they slipped away from me. Apologies again!"

The entire time All Might had been swiftly collecting the sludge around them, Izuku had been sweating and nervously trying to avoid him, completely shaken and unsure of what to say or do around the one hero who meant the most to him. Now, having to face him directly, Izuku was nearly foaming at the mouth, his mind a jumble of things to ask and say.

He settled on, "Thank you!"

Izuku gave a very stern bow, and Mei looked at him quizzically before laughing and giving a very casual thumbs up to All Might.

"One day I'll be able to make something to support even you, All Might," Mei said confidently. "I guarantee it!"

"Oh? Are you perhaps looking to join the Support class at U.A?" With Mei's eager nod, All Might gave her a nod of acknowledgment, giving a thumbs up of his own. "Perfect! I'm sure you can do it!"

_H-He said she can do it?_ Izuku was staring at the ground, frozen in thought. _Can I, too, become what I want then? Even without a quirk...? There's still so many things I need to ask!_

When Izuku finally managed to lift himself up and open his mouth to speak, All Might was already turned away, looking back at them over his shoulder, squatting down as if prepping to leap.

"Well-" All Might jumped into the air, his voice booming across the area as he spoke, "I'll be eagerly awaiting your support!"

Izuku was left stunned, gazing up into the sky where the hero had just leaped, his figure disappearing as he got too far away. He fell to his knees, looking down into the box of scraps sadly.

"That was quite the chance encounter- Hey, you alright?" Mei looked down at Izuku, who seemed to be in turmoil.

"I didn't... Get to ask him..." Izuku was visibly shaking a bit, trying his hardest to fight back tears.

Mei looked at Izuku for a moment, before moving in front of him and squatting down to look at him. He nervously looked at her as she seemed to study him for a bit, before standing and sighing.

"So you want to become a hero like him huh? Well I don't know what kind of quirk you have, but you should focus on something more realistic," she began, starting to walk away.

_Something realistic...?_Izuku looked up at her and spoke up. "L-Like what?"

Mei stopped and looked back, smirking at him. "That's not for me to decide! You know yourself best, so figure it out. If you've got what it takes to be a hero, then you'll be able to become a hero- Now can we get my stuff back? I _really_ need to get some of these crazy new ideas out of my head and into a physical form!"

The girl continued on impatiently without waiting for a response, her boots still sparking and sputtering. Izuku slowly got up to his feet, tightening his grip on the box in his hands, new thoughts arising in his head.

_Mei is so confident, so sure of what she has to do… Why can't I grasp onto something as easily?_

_She's right- Only I truly know myself. I need something __realistic, something I can do... I can't rely on anyone else's answer, I'll have to try whatever I can to succeed!_

Izuku managed to make his legs move at last, jogging to catch up with Mei as a gentle breeze drifted past him, pushing him along and lifting his spirits a bit.

_The question of whether or not I can become a Hero without a quirk... Only I can decide th__e answer!_

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: ****Hard Work ****and Babies**


	2. Hard Work and Babies

**Chapter Two: Hard Work and Babies**

Across the city of Musutafu, Izuku and Mei were standing at a garage entrance that was nestled between two abandoned-looking factories on the opposite side of town that Izuku was used to. The dingy nature of it made him extremely nervous.

_T-This seems like the kind of place a villain would hide out at,_ Izuku thought, looking around almost constantly as Mei set down the box in her hands and began to fiddle with a nearby panel.

"I chose this place for my workshop because there's lots of places to pick up scrap," Mei explained, then looked over at the nervous Izuku. "It's totally void of villains, because they were drove out a while ago!"

Those words should've helped his nervousness, but it just made Izuku tense up more as he learned that villains _were _there at some point and could come back.

"Are you... sure they're gone?"

"Ehh, it's fine either way," Mei told him as a spark flicked from the panel and the garage began to open loudly. "There we go~ Security should be down now."

Izuku stood and watched as the garage door opened, eager to see what Mei's workshop was like- However, he jumped in surprise as the girl suddenly popped up in front of him, staring him down.

"Thanks for the help, but I'd never show my workshop to just anyone!" She snatched the box from his hands, sliding the one she had set on the floor back into the garage with a kick, before jumping back inside and grabbing the garage door, slamming it down forcefully.

Izuku was left there a bit stunned, blinking at the garage door. The Sun was starting to set, leaving an orange glow over the city.

_I need to get back home soon or it'll be dark, but today was... I can't just..._

Taking a deep breath, Izuku stepped up to the garage door and raised a hand to knock, steeling his nerves before finally knocking on the metal surface-

However, before his knock could hit, the door suddenly lifted up instantly, and he screamed out in surprise as Mei was standing there looking at him, not even flinching as he nearly hit her, stumbling back as he pulled his hand away.

"Oh, so you are still here, I figured as much. Well, tell me why!"

Mei leaned in closer and closer to Izuku, who was put on the spot. He had to think of something fast, but the suddenness that Mei seemed to always bring to the table had him in a jumble.

"I-I, well, you see I... I want to see... More of what you do... Because y-you seem... Really interesting!" Izuku accidentally shouted that last part out in his nervousness. Talking to girls wasn't something he had ever really done, and luckily Mei wasn't a typical girl- But still, _any_ social contact was a bit hard for him to handle at this point.

"Interesting? Well I _am_ a masterful inventor of course, so you've got quite the keen eye," the girl said, moving back a bit and smirking at the boy, pointing at him. "But how can I trust that you're not just here to steal my babies?"

"I didn't even know who you were til today—"

"That doesn't cut it, there's people out there doing way crazier things than faking a meeting," Mei cut him off, crossing her arms and looking away, shaking her head. "So as far as I'm concerned, you're just another thief!"

Izuku's mouth hung open in disbelief, as he tried to wrap his head around the girl in front of him. Hatsume Mei was truly an enigma, acting very erratic and fearless in any situation. It was nearly _impossible_ for Izuku to understand her actions or read her face, because she was almost always smiling and talking loud and proud- But he quickly began to realize something.

He respected that. The ability to be proud of yourself and what you do, and what you stand for.

Izuku smiled slightly. "I... don't have a quirk, I'm pretty useless in most things because of that."

Mei's smiled dropped as she looked at Izuku, seeing his demeanor change slightly as he clutched at his chest, containing his nervousness a bit as he spoke, looking at her with rising confidence.

"I would never try to copy someone else's work just to get ahead, I... I just want to know if it's possible, to become a Hero without a Quirk," Izuku spoke, the orange sunlight cascading in from behind him, as Mei watched him. "Seeing you and how confident you are, it's... inspired me!"

Izuku bowed politely to the girl, but all Mei could do was burst out into laughter, which made the boy look up at her in confusion.

"You're always suuuper polite, but that won't get you anywhere if you plan on struggling your way into the Hero business," Mei said through her laughter, turning and motioning for him to follow her. "I see you're not lying, but in case you are _somehow getting past my hunches-_"

She looked back at him seriously. "Just know I'll totally kill ya' if you mess with my babies."

* * *

Mei's workshop was a very long, wide garage that was made narrow due to the amount of stuff littered all about. Boxes, metal pieces, and complete devices were piled up onto shelves and onto each other up until the very end of the room, where several desks lay with more room around them to move about.

"You... made all of this stuff?" Izuku couldn't help but look around at all of the devices, not a single clue as to what any of them did.

"Yup! Over the past decade pretty much," Mei said as she approached one of the desks, setting the two boxes they had brought down on it, then popping off her boots that had finally stopped sparking, placing them on the desk as well and instantly getting to work, fiddling with the bottom using a screwdriver. "They get less functional the closer you get to the entrance. The ones nearest to my workspace are my super _super_ coolest babies!"

Izuku watched Mei begin to work, before his eyes trailed over towards something interesting on a nearby pile of scrap. He picked it up in his hands, examining its curved metal body and two metal rods sticking out of it. Compared to a lot of the things around, this one seemed to be made out of cleaner, sturdier material.

"What is this-"

One of the metal rods slid inside of the device automatically, and a whirring noise began to become louder and louder as Izuku stared down at it, fear rising in him. Suddenly Mei slapped rushed over and slapped it out of his hands, the device skittering across the ground before it began to send out bolts of electricity to the metal objects all around.

Izuku panicked and backed up as far as he could, careful not to touch anything metal around. "T-That seems dangerous…"

"Could you not do that," Mei spoke, walking over and simply grabbing the device with her gloved hand. The device began to smoke and turned off, as she examined it, before sighing and tossing it into a nearby pile of junk. "Well...You killed it. Are you happy with yourself?!"

Mei walked back to the desk, slamming her fist down on it. Izuku wasn't sure what to say, scratching his head and looking away.

"I'm sorry… I—"

He was taken off guard as Mei suddenly lit up again, happily smirking as she rushed towards him and began to measure him with a measuring tape she had grabbed from the desk. Before Izuku could do anything about it, Mei stepped away, nodding to herself.

"Right right, that'll do," she said to herself as she began to rummage through the box of scraps they had brought with them.

"What was that for?" Izuku watched as she began to methodically lay out the pieces of her previous failed experiment, a thoughtful expression on her face.

"Well," Mei began, grabbing some goggles and putting them on, "Since you _killed_ my baby, I think I'll have you test something for me."

_Test! _Izuku couldn't help but remember how Mei had supposed 'blown herself across town' with her last test. _That walk from the school took us nearly an hour… Wait, what time is it?_

Izuku looked around for a clock of some sort, not daring to touch anything. Somehow that was the one gadget that was not present in the workshop, but based on how low the Sun had gotten when they arrived, he could only assume it was about to be dark out.

_I should really go, but this is a rare opportunity, _he thought as he gazed at all of the heaps of stuff around. _A peak at what I can do if I believe I can make it!_

"Done!"

As Mei called out, Izuku snapped out of his thoughts and looked back at her, shocked to find that she had reassembled the failed experiment from before. It looked like a metal backpack with two wings on either side, with downward-facing jets on either side. She wiped sweat from her brow as she gazed at it, smirking, then shot a glowing look over at Izuku.

"This is how you'll repay me~"

All Izuku could do was gulp.

* * *

"Don't worry about it, I made the modifications to fix it for sure this time~"

Mei's words weren't very encouraging as Izuku wore the device outside of the workshop, sweating nervously.

"I-I don't feel like this is a good idea," he spoke up with a shaky voice.

Mei let out a laugh and patted the device on his back. "That's why we test things!~"

_How's that supposed to make me feel better?!_ Izuku thought.

"So you just have to hold onto the straps and clutch the button righttt there," she pointed out to him. The front metal straps of the device only had one button on each side. "When both are held down, it'll propel you up depending on how hard you press it. Go on!"

Izuku looked at the buttons and nervously clutched the straps, letting out a slow breath to try to calm his nerves.

_What am I doing…?_

He pressed the buttons softly, and felt his body jolt up. He let out a yell of shock, closing his eyes and flailing his legs a bit as he felt the ground leave him.

"Hey! It's working great!"

Izuku opened one eye, then the other as he saw that he was hovering only a couple of feet above the ground. Mei was beaming at the sight. He looked over at the two engines on either wing of the device, seeing a sort of faint blue glow emanating from them, with no sight of flames or smoke or anything.

"H-How does this work?" Izuku didn't dare move much, but he found he was easily able to turn in mid-air to face Mei.

"Oh, you know, magnetic propulsion and stuff, simple," she answered, walking around him to examine the device in action. "By now this is when it failed and sent me sky high!~"

Hearing that. Izuku let go of the buttons and let himself drop to his feet. Sighing at the relief of the solid ground beneath him.

"T-That's amazing… How do you get to the point where you can make this stuff so easily?"

Mei chuckled and pointed towards her head. "Lots and lots of hard work and no sleep!"

_That's… Just a normal thing someone would say about anything_, he thought, staring at her in disbelief. _If she can do anything she wants by applying herself fully, then so can I!_

After removing the device and handing it to Mei, Izuku cleared his throat to speak up.

"I was wondering… Um… How does the Support class work exactly?"

Mei was already fiddling with the device as she answered, "Hmm well they make the costumes and devices and training equipment for the Hero students, but that's not the reason most are there."

"There's another reason..?"

"Of course there is! The fame and fortune that comes from being the #1 inventor, the #1 costume designer, and the #1 support Hero," Mei exclaimed excitedly.

"Support hero? That's—" Izuku put a hand to his chin, thinking for a moment. "Is something like that possible?"

Mei shrugged, looking up at the sky that was being filled with stars as the sunlight finally faded away.

"There's lots of heroes out there whose abilities don't do much in a fight~ My own quirk is the same way, so I use it to my fullest for what I do!"

"I-I see, I…. I should get going, before it gets too late," Izuku said with a small smile.

"Huh, I guess so. I might need another power nap soon," Mei spoke with a yawn, which she brushed off as she let out a chuckle, still fiddling with the hovering device. "Oops, I didn't quite fix the issue. This baby was a few seconds away from a repeat failure~"

Izuku didn't even want to think about nearly being blown up, so he said his goodbyes and left.

_I would've never thought about other ways to be a Hero before,_ he thought on his way home. _With inventions like that, couldn't anyone become great? Maybe not as a great as All Might, but…_

When he got home, Izuku simply explained he helped someone with school work, before quickly heading up to his room.

Something was filling his mind now, and he couldn't get it out. He set his bag down and took out his hero journal, flipping to the page where he had detailed his own Hero costume.

_I want to be as strong and dependable as All Might, _Izuku thought as he stared at the drawing, taking a pencil out. _But what if I could go beyond that? I could help everyone!_

Furious scribbling occured from Izuku's room for the next while, only pausing when he went to eat dinner. Izuku didn't stop himself til he couldn't move his hand anymore and collapsed onto his nearby bed, falling asleep for the night.

On the next page after his Hero costume, Izuku had drawn something new, something that now seemed more achievable than ever to him—

His new path to being a Hero.

**Midoriya Izuku**

"**Support Hero Suit"**

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The Path to U.A**


	3. The Path to UA

_**A/N: This one came out fast, but don't expect that much. Best chapter though so far, so enjoy!~**_

* * *

**Chapter Three: The Path to U.A**

Izuku had a lot of decisions to make, and not a lot of time to make them.

There were roughly ten months until the U.A entrance exams, and he was already several years behind others his age who had been training and harnessing their quirks. All he had was his knowledge and a wavering confidence— not exactly the best set of skills going into a test for one of the most elite schools in the entire world.

So he finally decided on what he should do, and, after steeling his nerves, he returned to Mei's workshop the next day after school had ended.

Izuku let out a breath of relief when the garage door had opened up from his knocking, glad that the girl was there. He bowed deeply to Mei, who was wiping sweat and oil from her face, looking down at the boy in confusion.

"P-Please, help me get into the Support division!"

Those were words Izuku had never expected to say. He always wanted to he a Hero, and he wanted to do it all himself— But now was the time to put the feverish dreams aside and try something he believes he can do.

_Please don't deny me too harshly—_

"Okay," Mei said simply.

Izuku looked up at her in surprise, as the girl stretched her arms casually.

"Thank—" Izuku was cut off as she put up three fingers in his face.

"Butttt you have to do three things for me," she said with a big grin. "First, you have to test anything I want you to test!"

_Anything?! _Izuku gulped at the thought but nodded, not seeing it as that big of a deal.

"Secondly, you have to help bring supplies in for me. And thirdly…" Mei trailed off a bit and looked around, as if making sure nobody was around. "You have to sign a contract for me."

"Sign… a contract?" Izuku blinked at the statement. "L-Like what kind of—"

Mei was somehow already prepared, pulling out a messy document from her back pocket, one that was covered in smudges and heavily crinkled.

"A contract that benefits us both for our inventions! So we can truly profit and soar high into the ranks of the Support division!" She let our a hearty laugh, as Izuku looked on in surprise.

"W-Were you prepared for this?!"

The pink-haired girl shrugged and pushed the document into his chest, which Izuku hesitantly took while shivering a bit from the contact, looking the paper over. "There's always the chance to increase your gains! So it's best to be prepared.~"

The contract, although barely legible in the current state, detailed how anything Izuku created under Mei's teaching was subject to being co-owned by her. It also stated that the secrets of their trade would be kept between them, specifically saying "the secrets of their babies", or else the person who breaks the contract will be subjected to—

"O-One million yen…?" Izuku glanced up at Mei, who had her arms crossed and a smug look on her face, as if she had been waiting for him to get there.

"That's right! What better way to make sure we can trust each other right? I don't want to pay that much, do you?!"

The girl leaned in close, bursting Izuku's personal bubble, making him panic a bit and hold up the paper over his face as a barrier.

"R-Right! I don't!"

After semi-reluctantly agreeing to the girl's terms, Izuku felt like he had finally taken a true step forward to becoming the Hero he's always dreamed of being, and the long road ahead of him burst wide open.

* * *

_**-First Month of Training-**_

The first month proved to be the hardest, but Izuku didn't expect it to go any other way.

"You'll have to learn while training your body and spirit too! It's the only way you'll make it," Mei had told him.

Izuku remembered several televised events that U.A was famous for, one of them being the U.A Sports Festival. All four divisions came together, and it was really tough for any of the other three divisions to compete with the Hero classes and their strong quirks.

"I-I see," Izuku responded, thinking, and unknowingly beginning to mutter. "So I need to physically become strong enough so that I can handle up close fights and encounters, as well as be ready to take the force and brunt of any damage caused by using the devices I create and use—"

Mei hadn't seen Izuku's odd, overthinking muttering before, but it somehow didn't phase her as she nodded along happily, waiting for him to snap out of it, seemingly intrigued by it all.

"—ahh, s-sorry!" Izuku shook his head, catching himself in the act. He was surprised to see Mei beaming as she looked at him. It was the first time that somebody didn't break his chain of thought.

"That's right! You're as scrawny as a Human can possibly be, so there's no way you'd be able to truly compete yet," Mei pointed out , "We need to get you _ripped!_"

"I-Is that really nece—"

Izuku froze as he felt unwarranted touching on his body, as Mei had moved behind him and started to feel on his stomach, chest, and arms. He was stunned, his mind blank during the encounter before Mei finally moved away and shook her head.

"Yup, absolutely nothing! Luckily a few of my babies should help with that..~"

Mei walked over to one of her work desks in thought, leaving the shocked Izuku frozen in place without a care.

"Aha! This is perfect for—"

She turned excitedly, only to find Izuku on the ground, passed out from the shocking embarrassment.

"Eh…?"

After that first day of preparation, the days began to pass by at a slow pace.

Mei was no physical trainer and was a bit on the shorter side, but she had always kept up with her own body so that she could lock herself away in her workshop for days at a time and continue her experimenting and inventing. Such long periods of no movement could've easily left her weak, thus, Mei had created special devices for such an issue.

Izuku found himself jogging, doing crunches, sit-ups, lunges— Everything someone who worked out constantly might do on a daily basis, but nothing that he had ever truly done. It seemed nearly impossible on its own, but the devices didn't make it any easier. One device applied increasing weight to ones legs, another squeezed ones stomach and moved in a way that was meant to work their abs— But to Izuku, they might as well have been torture devices.

By the end of that first week, Izuku felt like he couldn't move. As Mei looked down at him laying on the ground, she used her quirk to examine his face closer to see how truly exhausted he was.

"Well, this isn't working well huh," she commented. "Maybe a different approach then?"

When Izuku had recovered, Mei opened the garage door to the workshop and opened her arms and if presenting it to hin.

"We'll start with Mei's Physical Training Course 2.0 then!"

"W-What is it?" Izuku could only stare at the long garage stacked wall to wall with stufff.

Mei chuckled smugly. "Well, you're going to be taking all of the scrap and moving it outside of course!"

_Isn't that just… A chore?!_ Before the tired Izuku could ask, Mei continued on.

"While using my training devices of course, and you'll also have to start listening to my lessons, or else you can't even start to create something. Got it!"

Izuku didn't even have the power left in him to agree or disagree, settling on a grunt.

From then on, every day after school, Izuku continued his training. Moving the huge seemingly endless piles of metal proved easier than raw exercise, but not by much. He strained to listen to Mei's explanations on soldering, electronics, and other such things as he pushed his body beyond its limit every weekday.

On the weekends, Izuku took the time to rest his body, while reading up more at the local library— Books on the history of U.A, thermodynamics, methods of body cultivation— Anything that could possibly help him, even if he didn't understand it at all at that moment.

It was a struggle for a month, til Izuku finally managed to finish his physical task. All of the scrap from the large garage was now settled neatly into ten large piles, each nearly twice as tall as he was.

While he was resting, Mei had helped him removed the training devices, much to his disdain due to the touching but he wasn't able to argue from exhaustion. She examined them and then him and smirked.

"See! Progress!"

Confused, Izuku looked down at himself. He could feel his muscles strained and burning, and could actually see the difference. His muscles were now showing slightly, and he could feel the hardness in his guts as his abdominal muscles became more and more pronounced.

"Now that you've completed the first portion of the training— Time to take it it all back inside!~"

Izuku passed out from exhaustion from just hearing those words.

* * *

_**-Fourth Month of Training-**_

When the air started to cool down and the trees began to shed their leaves, signalling the start of Fall, Izuku had begun a strictly less physical but more mentally demanding training regime. His birthday had come and pass, and his determination only grew as the amount of time left waned more and more.

"O-Ouch! Ow ow ow—" He winced and shook his hand, having burned it for the third time today.

"You're going too slow, you'll just hurt yourself more! Relax and go on confidently," Mei called to him from nearby. Without even looking, she was keeping tabs on what he was doing somehow while continuing her own work.

Izuku took a deep breath and got back into his work. He was starting to create something of his own, something he knew from experience would be useful.

Mei had told him that the first thing he created would be tough, but it would give him the inspiration he needs to push on and create more and more, so Izuku decided that his first project would be very, _very_ personal.

"I think I have an idea," he had told her when he decided, "I-I have a childhood friend, and his quirk is, well… Scary. But it's really close range, so if I could keep away from him…"

Mei smirked and held out a wrench to Izuku, who looked at it.

"Well, what are ya' waiting for? Get to work then," she exclaimed.

Learning to weld and solder were surprisingly difficult, but Izuku felt like he could do anything after his body training. He still kept up with himself, jogging to school and doing general workouts here and there, because losing the most hellish three months of his life would truly end his motivation.

His fellow classmates were starting to catch on that something was up though. A few times, they caught Izuku muttering in thought, his hands covered in bandages, bags under his eyes, and an overall exhausted demeanor about him.

"If I connect the parts with insulated tubes and then make sure they're connected fully, then the air should be able to pass through quicker and shouldn't blow the baby up. Baby?" Izuku seemed to pause for a second in his muttering, questioning himself before continuing. "The baby should be able to handle the intense air pressure—"

_Babies….?! _His classmates were shocked, believing he had truly gone off the deep end.

Only a smack over the head from the teacher finally brought him out of his trance, leaving Izuku heavily embarrassed with so many eyes on him.

What he didn't notice, however, was the intense look of disdain that Bakugo was sending his way, knowing _something_ was going on with the green haired boy, seething over the fact that someone else was going to attempt to get into U.A.

_I'll make sure he doesn't even want to look at that damn school building anymore, _Bakugo thought angrily, his left hand twitching and forming tiny explosions from his anger-induced stress.

Izuku shivered in that moment, feeling like something sinister was going to happen soon.

* * *

_**-Eighth Month of Training-**_

Izuku had finally done it. He stood up triumphantly, gazing down at his completed device, beaming for the first time it a while.

The past eight months had been rough and draining, but finally Izuku could see the light, the fruits of his labor laid out on the desk in front of him.

"Finally done huh? Can't wait to see you test it!" Mei had returned to the workshop with thermoses of hot chocolate. The girl had changed her usual attire recently, going for a thick jacket and scarf and ski goggles, as if the cold air and bit of snow outside were a reason to look like she was going skiing.

"I'll have to test it when I get back, I almost forgot that it was the holiday season," Izuku said, turning to the girl and accepting one of the thermoses. "Thanks!"

"Well you better do it soon, or you'll regret it when it backfires on you later," the girl commented, taking off the bag on her back and placing it on one of the desks, rummaging through it.

Izuku watched her as he got his jacket and backpack on. "You were out scavenging in this weather?"

Mei laughed, not looking at him. "Of course! No time for rest right? If we get all lazy and comfy during the Winter then we won't be ready when the entrance exams come!"

With a sigh, Izuku nodded reluctantly in agreement. He had been working with Mei to get her sleeping and eating schedule on a more regular quota. Though it wasn't to much avail, it was helping give her a lot more energy, and Izuku was glad he could help her with it at least a small amount.

"Your parents are gone often to sell their creations right? So what are you doing for the holidays?"

"Oh you know, probably a little of this and a little of that, spend time with my babies and such," the girl responded nonchalantly as she pulled out some pieces of scrap and examine them.

"R-Right…" Izuku took a sip of the hot drink and began to walk away, giving a small wave. "Well, I'll be back in a week at the most."

Mei waved him off without looking. "Right right, don't take too long!"

As Izuku stepped out into the cold, he shivered hard, appreciating how well insulated Mei's workshop was. As he trudged through the brisk wind and snow, he couldn't help but thinking of his new friend and how the past year had changed him so much.

_I owe a lot to Mei, even if I don't quite make it in the end,_ he thought as he arrived home.

"I'm home!" Izuku slid his shoes off, and looked up as his mother peeked out at him from a doorway.

"Oh, Izuku, I was wondering if your study friend was going to come over for the holidays at all?"

"I-I doubt it, they're pretty busy," Izuku responded with a nervous smile.

He never told his mother that his friend was a girl, knowing it would only cause confusion and stuff that he _really_ didn't want to deal with. It had taken himself a while to get over that fact, and now Izuku had gotten used to it, and his interactions with Mei had become very natural.

When Christmas day had arrived, the snow had begun to pile up as a surprise blizzard had struck. Izuku found himself gazing out at the snow, while the wafts of his Mom's cooking entered his nose occasionally.

It was peaceful, just like every year. Just him and his Mom… But something was nagging at him.

_Is Mei really just there by herself, still working? Or did her parents show up for Christmas?_

The thoughts overshadowed the happiness of the moment, and then one thought finally clicked and horrified him for a moment.

_S-Should I have invited her? I-I was too preoccupied with what my Mom would think, but what if she's just there alone?_

Izuku stood and clenched his fists, getting a bit angry at himself.

_I can't forget that I'm not alone in this anymore!_

With that, he decided to go to find her, grabbing a few things to put into his backpack. As he was putting on his jacket, scarf, and boots, his Mother worriedly came to see what he was doing.

"Izuku?! There's a blizzard out there!"

"Sorry Mom, I really have to check on my friend, I'll be back in an hour!"

With that, Izuku left, without giving his Mother a chance to stop him. Moving through the snow was easier than it would have been months ago thanks to his trained body. He quickly trudged through, not letting the panging cold get to him as he made it to Mei's workshop in a record time.

The garage door wouldn't budge, meaning the security system was active. He opened the nearby panel, having learned from Mei how to deactivate it, and fiddled with it for a moment. There was a spark from the panel, making him gasp as it shocked him, but the door began to open.

He quickly moved inside, seeing it was dark except for a faint light at the end near the desks.

"'Mei!"

Izuku made his way to the end of the garage, but slowed himself down as he reached the girl.

Mei was asleep, her arms crossed on the desk and her head resting on them, her breathing light and peaceful, the bit of drool making it obvious that she was exhausted. Izuku let out a sigh as he looked at her.

_She probably overworked herself like usual,_ he thought as he set his backpack down and removed some things he had brought with him. _At least it's warm in here… I'm sure this place is more home to her than her actual house._

Izuku took a blanket he had brought and gently laid it over Mei, careful not to wake her, though she didn't seem to notice. He smiled and took his alarm clock from his bag, setting it to go off in a couple of hours.

_Hopefully she'll at least wake up to this and get something to eat,_ Izuku thought as he set it nearby.

He hesitated as he looked at the last thing he had brought. It was something he was working on when he wasn't doing his training, something that he really needed a second opinion on. It was a journal, a new one Izuku had started on months ago to add to his several Hero-related ones.

The journal recollected all of the lessons Izuku had gone through and had all of his personal notes and questions he would go back to and answer. Many drawings and ideas were also inside of things Izuku had no clue would be functional or not. It also held personal thoughts and ideas for Mei was well, things he saw that she did right or wrong, and ways he felt she could improve as well. It could be embarrassing— But he wanted her opinion on it.

Izuku laid it gently on the desk near Mei's sleeping figure, sliding his backpack back on and trying to quietly head out.

When Izuku closed the door and headed off, Mei barely stirred, still completely asleep and unaware.

Nearby the journal sat with a title written prominently on it:

**Hatsume and Midoriya's Path to U.A**

* * *

_**-One Week Before U.A Entrance Exams-**_

It was nearly time for all of the hard work to pay off, but Mei wasn't letting Izuku off easily.

"If you don't wear your baby around, how can you ever expect to get a real chance to test it?" Her reasoning was sound, but Izuku couldn't help but feel it was necessary after having already done several tests for his invention for months.

That is, until Bakugo confronted him one day.

Izuku was going to the convenience store for snacks as a sort of small celebration, knowing Mei wouldn't want to do anything big anyways, when he felt the angry glare piercing the back of his skull. He had turned to see none-other than his childhood friend there, looking _extremely_ pissed.

"So, nerd, you still think you're getting into U.A huh?" Bakugo was gritting his teeth as he spoke, as if trying to contain himself.

Izuku knew he wouldn't be let off the hook, but Bakugo had never confronted him in the last part of the school year, so it had given him hope that nothing bad would happen. _Maybe he couldn't find me because I was always with Mei…?_

Bakugo suddenly pointed at him accusingly and yelled, "You've been hiding from me for months, but now I can beat some sense into you!"

_H-He really couldn't find me this whole time! _Izuku gulped and took a step back instinctively. However, he opened his eyes wide in realization. _What am I doing? I-I'm prepared for this—_

"Kacchan—"

"Don't give me any bullshit," Bakugo spat, interrupting him. "I'm going to be the _only_ one from our school at U.A. I thought I made that clear enough, but I guess you're too _stupid_ to understand words!"

With a yell of anger, Bakugo began to rush towards him. They were in a fairly narrow street, with walls on either side of them and nowhere to really go. Izuku knew he might struggle to outrun his old friend, even with his physical training he had endured.

So he stood his ground and concentrated, remembering what he had prepared for.

On Izuku's back was a different sort of backpack than usual— This one was more cylindrical and silver in color, covered in canvas in order to hide its true properties inside. From the backpack, several thin metal tubes went through his clothes and connected to Izuku's boots and gloves that he was wearing, hidden to anyone who didn't know about it.

_This has to work, this is the first real test,_ Izuku thought as Bakugo was nearly upon him, his hand raised and poised to give Izuku a nice explosion. _If I can't overcome this, then how can I overcome the U.A exam!_

Izuku gathered his nerves and raised his hands, clicking his ring fingers in, touching a certain spot on the palm of his gloves. A whirring noise occurred from within the backpack, and a powerful blast of air shot out from underneath his boots.

Bakugo was surprised as Izuku suddenly flew to the side, avoiding him in a split second. He looked over to his right, watching as Izuku spun in mid-air and landed expertly on top of the nearby wall, catching his balance quickly before standing.

The Sun above cascaded down upon Izuku, leaving his face a shadow as he looked back at Bakugo with a confident expression, while the blonde haired boy was left in complete shock.

This was Izuku's creation: the Flow—

And it had worked just as intended.

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Entrance Exams Pt. I**


	4. Entrance Exams Pt I

**Chapter Four: Entrance Exams Pt. I**

Every great Hero has a story about back when they were in their school days. The tall tales of how great they were and the many crazy adventures they had before becoming a Licensed Hero.

Izuku wouldn't really have any of that; he was just a regular kid, born without powers in a world full of powerful people. His Middle School days would be forgotten and left behind in the dust.

Now, standing before the looming U.A High School, Izuku felt a surge of excitement within himself as other new students walked past him, heading for the entrance.

_This is where my story will begin— At U.A!_

He took a step, and instantly found himself falling forward as something tripped him. _Eh…?_

Izuku held out his hands to catch himself, landing on them and somersaulting forward, right back up to his feet in one fluid move. A few of the students looked over in surprise as Izuku dusted himself off and looked back to see what had happened.

Mei was standing there, her arms crossed and foot out, not even trying to hide what she had done. She shook her head and grinned.

"You were lost in your thoughts again," she commented.

While Deku was wearing his black Middle School uniform, the pink-haired girl was wearing a simple white button-up long-sleeve shirt, with the sleeves rolled up and a jacket tied at her waist. A pink tie was around her neck and the black skirt solidified that it was the most professional attire Izuku had ever seen her in… Until he noticed she was wearing her propulsion boots from when they had first met. They weren't built to look pleasing to the eye, so it made her look like some sort of art student, all mismatched and tired-like.

"I guess you did do home schooling," Izuku said out loud, before realizing he was staring, waving in front of himself innocently. "Oh s-sorry, just weird seeing you like that."

"Well, I figured I'd be all clean and _bleh_ and whatever," Mei explained, obviously uncaring. "Make a good appearance since I guess we'll be wearing uniforms a lot. It feels a little bit unsettling though to me."

Izuku chuckled softly. Mei was a strange girl for sure, but he had grown to appreciate as they became closer over the past year. Now, they had arrived at their destination, and it was time to put all they had learned to the test.

"...Move it."

Deku's good mood dropped instantly as he looked past Mei, seeing, of course, Bakugo coming their way.

The boy bumped shoulders with Mei without a care and kept going on, not even sparing Izuku a glance— But he could tell that Bakugo was boiling with rage on the inside. It made him shudder a bit, thinking of how a week ago he had escaped him and not let him have his violent way for the first time ever.

"So that's that explodey guy huh?" Mei's voice was dark, so Izuku looked over to her worriedly.

"S-Sorry, he's like that a lot—"

Izuku stopped his explanation when he saw that Mei's eyes were lit with determination, as she cracked her knuckles and smiled wide.

"I'll just remember to spite him later when we leave him in the dust,~" she said confidently.

Izuku smiled at this. It was good to have a friend with him here, with such an important step in his life right in front of him.

_I won't fail you Mei… Mom… I'll become just as great as All Might! _

* * *

While the orientation for the Hero course was being held in U.A's largest auditorium, the Support course's exam explanation was happening nearby in an amphitheater, one that would possibly be used for concerts or stage plays, though Izuku was unsure about how U.A utilized it.

As Izuku and Mei settled in among the other students, he did a quick head count to the best of his ability.

"Looks like there's over a hundred applicants," Mei said simply, letting out a yawn as if uninterested.

"Did you stay up all night again even though I said not to?" Izuku eyes the girl, who looked away from him so he couldn't get a good look at her face.

"Nope! And you can't prove anything either," she said with a laugh.

Izuku shook his head, wanting to press her further, but something began to happen down at the center stage. A large cloaked figure wandered up onto the stage, making everyone hush as they looked at the mysterious person.

_Wait is it getting… Darker? _Izuku and many others looked up, surprised to see a localized dark cloud forming just over the amphitheater, cascading it in shadows. Spotlights shot down upon the cloaked figure, illuminating them. _T-This really is a stage play!_

"**So you think you have what it takes to be a Support student, hm**," a booming voice spoke, seemingly coming from every direction due to the echoes of the amphitheater. "**Well, heh… That's just—**"

"Wonderful!" As the last line was spoken, the deep booming voice was replaced by a very excited and and light-hearted one, as the person threw their cloak away.

Everyone was in shock at the sight of the giant of a man, clad in a tuxedo, black dress pants, and a black bow tie, with a single rose in the front pocket of his suit jacket. The mysterious cloud above began to clear, allowing rays of sunlight to pierce through and make the scene that much more dramatic as the man held his head up high, as if posing in the light, his slicked-back gray hair glistening.

_T-That's… Drama Boss! The best Hero costume designer from the West!_

Izuku was nearly on the edge of the seat at the reveal. He was likely the only one who knew about this Hero from across the globe, and seeing a foreign Hero was something that he didn't think he'd get to see for a long, long time.

As the darkness cleared more, they could now spot another figure near Drama Boss. He was a tall but thin man dawning a tan trench coat and brown fedora. His face was long, ending in a pointed chin, his blond hair a mess under his hat with very sharp and stern eyes looking out at everyone.

Drama Boss acted like he had just noticed him, audibly gasping and taking a fighting pose with his legs spread wide, pointing accusingly at the newcomer.

"Ah, a villain has appeared!" With that exclamation, Drama Boss' voice became deeper and more serious.

Confused muttering began among the crowd, most of them recognizing the trench-coat-wearing Hero but still very, _very _confused by Drama Boss and his shenanigans.

The newcomer, known by his Hero name Paper Mache, let out a groan and pointed his gloved hand back at Drama Boss.

"Drama Boss you damned idiot,_ shut up_!"

Paper Mache's yell was loud and angry enough to make everyone silence. At first, it looked like Drama Boss might be preparing to get angry— After all, he was a large, hulking unit with quite the intimidating face—

But he just burst out into a loud, sobbing cry. "P-Paper Mache… Why do you have to be so mean?"

"You're such a—" Paper Mache scowled and stopped himself, adjusting his fedora and sighing. He looked back to all of the potential students looking at them and cleared his throat before continuing. "We are here as guests to assist you all today in the U.A Support class' entrance exam," he explained loudly, "You all should have received a flyer giving you your personal exam details, right?"

Izuku took out the flyer they had been given when entering. He was hesitant with so many others around him, so he tried his best to hide it as he gazed at it again.

Along with basic information like his picture, name and Middle School, it also listed "**Applicant: #134**" and some information he has given like, "**Quirk: Unknown**" and "**Specialty: Aerodynamics**."

"Alright, now everyone's eyes on me," the man demanded. When everyone looked up at him, he brought up his right hand and snapped. Suddenly, the flyers flew out of everyone's hands as if caught in a gust of wind, fluttering around before finally returning to where they were. "Now look again!"

Izuku gasped— He now had someone else's flyer instead! He looked around before quickly examining it.

**Name: Minami Shiro**

**Applicant: #52**

**School: Konoda Junior High**

**Quirk: Unknown**

**Specialty: Mechanical Engineering**

The picture was a very, _ver_y short girl with a blonde ponytail and a smug expression on her face as she did a peace sign for the camera. _Mechanical Engineering..? I bet most people here are like Mei and know way more advanced things than me!_

Izuku gulped and peered over to Mei. "Who did you—" He gasped as he saw the girl was asleep. "Mei! Wake up!"

Mei lifted her head up drowsily and looked over at Izuku, a bit confused.

"What? Are we done yet?" She was holding a flyer in her right hand now, and looked down at it, a bit confused by the site of a different person on it.

Paper Mache continued, his stern voice silencing everyone again. "This will be your opponent for the first phase of testing! To explain further, Power Loader, head of U.A's costume creation, is here to tell you more!"

The man took a step back, as did Drama Boss, as the ground began to tremble a bit, and Power Loader burst out from under the stage, sending wood flying everywhere. Everyone looked at the Hero in awe, with his signature large, yellow helmet gleaming in the sunlight as he landed on the stage.

"Sorry, sorry, I had some last minute adjustments for the Hero course," Power Loader spoke. He sighed and looked over to the other two Heroes. "Did you stall enough?"

"You made the most perfect last second entrance possible," Drama Boss confirmed with a round of claps.

"I didn't think you'd destroy anything though," Paper Mache muttered, his hands in his trench coat pockets.

"I'll fix it up later. I don't think we should sit around forever, let's get this rolling," Power Loader began. The short, shirtless Hero looked put at the crowd of young faces. He shook his head. "It's gonna be tough, because we expect you to be the best. So listen up!"

Power Loader pointed with his large hand at them before continuing.

"In this first phase you will be creating a Support item for a specific Hero chosen at random," he explained. "You and your opponent will have the same Hero. If you cannot make something well enough the hour given, you are _out. _Whoever makes the better item between you two gets an advantage in Phase 2."

_A head to head? This is definitely unique to this year's exam._ Izuku gulped and listened further.

"We'll be headed to our largest workshop, where you'll have limited resources to work with," Power Loader continued. "One hour! Don't disappoint too much."

* * *

**_~Mid Chapter Break~_**

**Name: Minami Shiro**

**Age: 15**

**Quirk: ?**

**Personality: Conniving, intrusive, closet pervert.**

**Power: 1/5 E - Speed: 2/5 D - Technique: 4/5 B - Intelligence: 5/5 A - Cooperativeness: 1/5 E**

_**~End Break~**_

* * *

The group had split into three, each going with one of the examiners. He and Mei were separated, so they wished each other good luck before going. Izuku still couldn't find his opponent, until he felt something touch his lower back, sending a shiver up his spine.

Turning, he saw the top of a short girl's head. Her blond ponytail and smug face gave away who it was instantly.

"Y-You are...Shiro?"

The girl chuckled and gave him a thumbs up before walking past him. "Good luck!"

"Eh…?" He watched the girl go ahead, confused. She was wearing a dull-pink uniform with a tan skirt, an unfamiliar one he figured must have been from a different region of Japan.

Shaking off the odd encounter, Izuku followed the group that was accompanying Paper Mache, coming to a long building. Once inside, Izuku was in awe at the scale of the workshop. Hundreds of creations, from robotic-looking things to advanced contraptions and computers, there was tons of interesting inventions stockpiled here.

Izuku looked down the building, seeing the other two groups far off, every group separated by a good distance.

"Alright listen up, you and your opponent will take one of these workbenches facing each other," Paper Mache stated.

Everyone began to find their opponent, the air turning heavy as everyone was forced to face down someone who could potentially knock them out of contention immediately. Izuku found the girl named Shiro waiting at a workbench, standing on the side opposite from her.

_It might be a competition, but they didn't say the loser gets eliminated,_ he thought, giving the girl a smile.

Shiro lifted a hand and pointed at Izuku. "So that device on your back— It compresses air and fires it off from gloves and boots connected to it?"

Izuku's expression changed as he gasped. The girl smirked, chuckling at her successful description.

"H-How did you…?"

"As if I'd tell you about my Quirk," Shiro laughed.

Izuku tightened his fists. _I should've been more on-guard…_

A loud noise made everyone look over to see Paper Mache pressing a button, a door opening to unveil a large stockpile of parts. These ranged from sheets of metal and electronic components, to scrapped parts of robots and computers.

"Your workbenches have several tools already, you'll just have to create using what you see here," Paper Mache said sternly. "This is all any of you get— First come first serve. And don't you think that I won't know if you try to use an invention you already made."

The man lifted a finger, and everyone took note of the paper airplanes circling around, watching them.

"My quirk lets me control paper and paper-like substances, and see what's on them and through them, so I'll know," the man said.

There was a snicker. Paper Mache looked over towards a dark haired boy, who was trying to contain his laughter.

"Is there a problem?" Paper Mache's voice was dark.

"It's just— Paper? Is that really a Hero's power?" The boy laughed.

One of the paper airplanes flew down quickly at the boy, who spun and grabbed it. He smirked.

"See? It's just paper, how stupid—"

Suddenly, Paper Mache popped up from behind the boy and loomed over him, seemingly in the blink of an eye, vanishing from where he had been previously. The boy could see Paper Mache's shadow, and shakily turned to look at him.

"You think you're hot shit huh? You're nothing," the man spoke darkly, reaching and grabbing the boy's head. The boy yelped in fear, and everyone watched the scene in shock.

"Hey! Stop doing evil things!" The voice of Drama Boss came from across the building.

"Hmph…" Paper Mache let go and walked past the boy, who fell back onto the ground, still shaking a bit. "Everyone look at your flyers again."

Everyone was still a bit surprised by the show, that their reactions were slow. Izuku took out his flyer and looked at it, surprised to find it had changed from Shiro's profile to a new one:

**Hero Name: Death Arms**

**Quirk: Super Strength (Enhancement - Short Range)**

**Likes: Functional things**

**Dislikes: Flashy things**

**Comments From Hero: "Just don't give me anything reckless!"**

_Death Arms, just pure strength? There's lots of things to help him out I'm sure,_ Izuku thought. He had seen this Hero before, recalling some notes he had on him in his Hero journal. The Hero's strength was nowhere near someone like All Might, but it wasn't unimpressive at all. His name came from the fact that his punches were said to be able to kill anyone who didn't have something defensive to stop him.

"By the way, you can start. No need for a countdown," Paper Mache said, leaning back against the wall near the entrance to the parts storage.

Everyone was busy reading the info, so nobody reacted very quickly. Luckily, Izuku looked up, turned, and took the first step towards the stockpile—

_Fwoosh!_ Instantly, two people flew past him, each using different propulsion objects as he began to run. He looked back and saw that others were going quickly as well, using inventions from what appeared to be robotic legs to roller-skates to jetpacks.

_Everyone came prepared..! Luckily so did I!_

Izuku slid to a stop and knelt down, prepping himself before jumping forward. He clicked in his middle fingers, sensing a moderate pulse into the Flow through his gloves. It made a whirring noise before shooting out a blast of air from his boots, sending him flying forward, straight past the two who had flown ahead.

He had miscalculated and came close to slamming into some of the equipment, but luckily he managed to twist his body in mid-air as he entered the storage, avoiding a collision.

The parts storage was about 500 square feet total. It was going to get crowded quickly, so Izuku had to be fast.

_Most of my studies went into Aerodynamics, _he thought. _Air flow and electronics… I can use those easily!_

While Izuku didn't recognize a lot of what was before him, he knew from watching Mei that anything could be turned into something useful. He picked and grabbed several things before turning, seeing that everyone was flooding in. There was no going through or over the amount of bodies inside.

_I've gotta take a shot! _He ran towards the crowd, his arms full of parts, and slid down on his legs. He almost managed to make it through, but ended up sweeping a few people off of their feet as he emerged.

"S-Sorry," he called back to them as he stood up.

"Midoriya! Penalty for physically interfering with others," Paper Mache yelled. "You've been warned."

_W-What? _Izuku wanted to argue or be surprised, but he didn't have time. He returned to his workbench and set everything down. Looking around, he couldn't seem to find any tools of any kind.

"P-Paper Mache, there's no tools here!"

Paper Mache crossed his arms and shrugged. "They were all present before the exam, so don't look at me."

Izuku was confused until he looked across to the other workbench facing his, where Shiro was standing, seemingly having never moved.

"Looks like you got some cool stuff, how about a trade?"

Izuku's eyes widened. The girl had two sets of tools in front of her. _She stole them!_

"Is this even allowed?" Izuku looked over to Paper Mache while pointing to Shiro.

Paper Mache scowled. "You're being annoying. I don't care, it's a competition," he said irritably.

Izuku clenched his fists. _He's being really strict in some ways and not others…! I just have to deal with it..._

Reluctantly, Izuku grabbed half of what he had brought and walked over to Shiro, placing it down. She examined the parts for a moment, then smiled up to him.

"Nice doing business with ya," she said mockingly. Izuku grabbed the tools and walked away, never feeling so bamboozled in his life.

_This girl… I'm going to go all out!_

Izuku looked over across the workshop, seeing the nearest group having an equal amount of struggle. He took a deep breath and looked down at what he had in front of himself.

_I created the Flow with Kacchan in mind, dodging his explosions,_ he thought. _If I think about Death Arms, what does he really need? Something similar? Or…_

Izuku recalled when All Might had saved him and Mei in the tunnel. Just the force of air from his punch as enough to obliterate the villain. Izuku looked down at his Flow glove.

_No, I can't just do the same thing I did for myself. That's just what that girl would think!_ He scowled and looked over to Shiro who was already hard at work. The workbenches, although facing each other, had small dividers, making it so he couldn't quite see what she was making._ Knowing her, she might just try to one-up whatever she thinks I'll do... So then..._

Something appeared in Izuku's mind. It was a hazy image, but he latched onto it and began to work, not letting anything else get to him. Slowly he began to envision it more and more clearly in his head.

_Yes! This it it!_

* * *

"Time's up, stop your hands or you'll lose em!"

Nobody dared mess around, stopping instantly at Paper Mache's words. Everyone was drained mentally, many people taking a seat after an hour straight of intense work.

"I'll be judging your devices, in no particular order. Don't think I don't know a useful Support tool, you can't fool me- I've been watching. So be ready!"

Paper Mache began to make the rounds. Izuku was gazing down at his creation, a smile on his face as he wiped sweat from his brow.

Izuku had lost many components because of Shiro, but he had managed to make something that he thought was impressive for any Hero really. Something to turn any short range Hero into a long-range powerhouse.

_I'm going to win this! I need every advantage I can get!_

Izuku looked up, locking eyes with Shiro, who didn't look as smug now. They glared to each other intensely.

When Paper Mache arrived at their workbenches, it was time to step up.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Entrance Exams Pt. II**


	5. Entrance Exams Pt II

**Chapter Five: Entrance Exams Pt. II**

"Minami Shiro, I understand you have quite the Quirk, from what I've been seeing," Paper Mache stated praisingly, before motioning impatiently with a hand and continuing, "Well, what have you got for Death Arms?"

Izuku watched intensely, his arms crossed as he was intent on not incurring anymore negative flak from Paper Mache.

Shiro chuckled and lifted a device that Izuku hadn't gotten a good look at before. It was a sort of cylindrical metal piece with two open ends, one end had metal and wires in the shape of a glove protruding from it. Paper Mache took it and examined it, peering inside of the device and feeling the weight of it.

"Since I've been watching everyone close, I've got a hunch— But explain it," he told the girl.

"Gladly! I call this a Strength Turbine. It uses the force of their punch to—"

_-create a shockwave of air currents!_ Izuku thought, perfectly finishing what Shiro said. The girl flashed him a look and a smirk.

"Go ahead and try it out!"

"Ehh, well I'm not one for strength, but if it blows my arm off I guess I can retire," Paper Mache grumbles. He slid the device on, his hand going into the metal that fit along his hand.

He turned away, facing empty space before rearing his right arm back. When his hand curled into a fist, a noise could be heard as the cylindrical part of the device on his arm began to spin. When Paper Mache threw his punch forward, a shot of air accompanied his fist, firing out quickly and blowing a hole in some floor tiles he had been aiming at.

"Oh, well that seems quite effective."

Shiro laughed and stood confidently, pointing to the device. "That's right! This is just a prototype too, imagine what I could make with much more time and resources!"

Izuku had expected her attempt at outdoing his specialty, but it was still too impressive of a device to disregard. In fact, he realized that something was a bit off.

_I don't remember her having all of those parts, so then…?_ Izuku looked over to others nearby. A couple of them seemed to be giving Shiro a sour look of contempt. _No way! Did she play others too while I wasn't paying attention? _

"Well it's needless to say that it's practical and functional," Paper Mache commented with a nod. "Definitely passes."

"Thank you sir," Shiro spoke, turning and sticking her tongue out at Izuku, who clenched his fists.

_I'll show her…!_

"Alright, Izuku Midoriya, right? Your quirk is, well…" Paper Mache trailed off, but Izuku could tell that the man must've known somehow, and was just sparing him the exposing that knowledge. "Anyways, show me what you've got."

Izuku took a deep breath. It was time to really show the fruits of his training with Mei. Everyone in the group had their eyes on him now, and he didn't want to fail her.

"I-I think I should show you first," he spoke. Izuku slid on two metal bracers that fit on his forearms, ending in thick cuffs at his wrists. They were mostly pure metal, but the wrists showed exposed metal coils and wires beneath.

_This is going to work… It has to!_ Testing the device while working on it was one thing, but doing a true test of it was a whole other beast.

Izuku took a step back, making sure he wasn't too close to anybody. Then, he slowly raised his right hand forward, and lifted his left one up into the air. Then, in one fluid motion, he brought down his left arm with all of his strength, hitting the cuff of his creation onto the other.

There was a flash as a visible aura of electricity emitted from the device in the blink of an eye, enveloping a wide area around him—

Then the lights above burst and left them in darkness.

* * *

Mei looked over across the workshop, seeing that a section where one of the groups had been was now in darkness after something caused the lights to burst.

"Wow, someone really made something cool over there," the pink-haired girl commented excitedly.

"Hmph… Says you," came the tall, broad-shouldered boy named Adatari Yuki who had been her opponent.

The two had already been assessed by Drama Boss, and Mei had won easily. In fact, she had made something so great that Drama Boss actually broke down and cried at the magnificence—

But this story is about Izuku, of course, so there's no need to see what she had created.

* * *

After a few minutes, backup lights were brought in via a couple of the candidates under the instruction of Paper Mache. A lot of the group had their hair sticking up straight from the electric current, so the man could only be thankful that his Hero costume included a hat.

Paper Mache sighed and looked over to Izuku, who was sitting on the ground, looking down at the device he had created on his wrists.

"So it emits a strong electric pulse," he stated. "Effective at killing lights, maybe startling people, but what else?"

Shiro was leaning against the workbench, watching the scene with a heavily smug expression. _I've got this for sure, there's no way to make himself look better after that display!_

Izuku smiled to himself. This took Shiro off guard, as the boy got up to his feet and pointed to Shiro's device that was still on Paper Mache's arm.

"Try using that again. If it still works, I lose," he said confidently.

"Hmm?" Paper Mache turned and repeated what he had done earlier, preparing and throwing a punch— Only for the device to do nothing. "Huh, well it's dead in the water for sure."

"Mine too!"

"Hey what the hell—"

A few others were complaining as they realized their creations had been fried as well, making Izuku gasp.

"I-I'm sorry…! It uses kinetic force to power the emp blast, I guess I just… Used too much power," Izuku said nervously with a smile, rubbing the back of his head nervously.

The idea had been sparked from the first encounter Izuku had in Mei's workshop, with a device that sent out jolts of electricity all around. Since then, alongside his studies of aerodynamics and how to use air to his advantage, he had thought about a way to create something involving electricity— And here, he had managed to create it when it mattered most.

Paper Mache moved closer and grabbed Izuku's arm, examining the device.

"Someone as strong as Death Arms could definitely use something like this to an even bigger extent," Paper Mache commented with a nod, before sighing and looking to the others. "But you _did_ interfere with the others' creations, and that's a real problem. And hey, what if someone had something important like a pacemaker or somethin'?"

Izuku dipped his head a bit, clenching his fists. He knew he needed to do all he could to move on, but he also wanted to be true to himself. It was

"I-I take full responsibility," Izuku said.

"Well of course you do. No way could I not pass something this great though," the man said. "You win against Ms. Shiro, but you both get to continue on. As punishment, you won't get your advantage next phase. Got it?"

Izuku lifted his head in surprise. Shiro audibly gasped at the words too.

"G-Got it!"

_I did it…! I can move on!_ he thought excitedly, until he noticed the cold stare of Shiro as the short girl approached him.

"Y-Your creation was very—"

Izuku was cut off as the girl passed by him briskly, her hand shooting our and grabbing his butt and squeezing it intensely before letting go. Izuku could only freeze up at the sudden unwelcome touch, his face twitching a bit.

"You're lucky you're a cute doofus, Midoriya," Shiro spoke happily as she practically skipped away, like a school girl who had talked to her crush for the first time.

Izuku had never felt so confused and violated before in his life.

* * *

_**Mid Chapter Break~**_

**Name: Devlin Ghander 'Paper Mache'**

**Age: 38**

**Quirk: Paper Control - Can control paper(and things similar to paper) and see through it (like a camera.) **

**Personality: Irritable, self-conscious, always gathering intel.**

**Power: 2 / 5 D - Speed 4 / 5 B - Technique 5 / 5 A - Intelligence 4 / 5 B - Cooperativeness 3 / 5 C**

* * *

"Y-You made something that crazy in one hour? Amazing," Izuku exclaimed in surprise.

Izuku and Mei were walking near the back of the pack of remaining hopefuls as they headed for the second phase of the exam.

"Yup! But it seems like you did something cool too, huh," Mei commented, grabbing his arm and looking at the bracer he had made.

"Well it was only possible because you helped make my Flow tamper-proof," Izuku said with a smile.

"Oh so your baby still works after that? That's great!" Mei let go of him and stretched her arms out. "Seems like there's plenty of great thinkers here for sure, I've already seen some cool stuff!"

The group of potential new students had dwindled down to roughly 70 now, from about twice that number. A few who Izuku's EMP had wiped out their creation couldn't recover from it, but most of them had managed to salvage the situation, though now Izuku felt like he had a target painted on his back.

Due to the second phase being more physical in nature, they had been allowed to change into more fitting clothes. Deku wore a turquoise tracksuit with his Flow still on his back, while Mei had changed into a more familiar getup of cargo pants and a black tank top, though Izuku didn't think that was much of an improvement for mobility.

The group was taken to one of the many training grounds that U.A utilized, all of which depicted different city designs and different scenarios for the Heroes to train in.

"This is a training ground usually utilized for escort operations," Power Loader explained as they reached a large wall with a looming door. "Here you will be tasked with assisting a Hero and getting them to the end of a dangerous area."

A hand shot up, and Power Loader nodded to them.

It was Adatari Yuki, who stood over most of the other candidates. He was a well built and broad guy with neat blonde hair and a stoic attitude about him.

"This seems more like a test for a Hero," he commented. "Not that I'm complaining, but you sure most of the people here can do something like that?"

A few murmurs of anger rose from the others, but Yuki paid them no mind. Power Loader shrugged at the question.

"You won't be put into any danger, but the Hero will. You will have to show your creativity and your quick thinking— These are two very essential components that a true star of the Support class should have," Power Loader explained.

Yuki dipped his head respectfully at the answer and took a step back to show he had nothing more to say.

"Anyways, this facility is quite the maze, so you'll need to figure out the way to the rescue zone. Leaving the walls of the training ground," Power Loader explained.

Paper Mache spoke up now. "The three of us will be creating obstacles and dangers for the Hero. You aren't to do anything incredibly reckless— You aren't trying out for the Hero course here," Paper Mache said. "But we can't just let anyone who can make a fancy gadget into U.A! Use what you've created and what you've brought and bring out your ingenuity, and just _don't be stupid!_"

The large doors began to open up, showing the mock city within. A woman on the shorter side in a skin-tight white suit with red markings all over stepped into view, approaching the group. Her deep red hair was swept to one side, and her expression was one of heavy disinterest.

"Ah, this is a fairly new Pro Hero Miss Negative," Power Loader said, motioning to her. "She'll be the Hero you will be assisting."

"I'm expecting to be disappointed," Miss Negative spoke with a scowl, looking over the group. "Theres _almost_ nobody here who seems interesting at all."

The woman's eyes specifically fell onto the largely built Yuki, who didn't falter under her gaze. She smirked a bit at him, before turning back to Power Loader.

"Well, let's just get this over this," she said simply. Raising her arms in front of herself, perpendicular to each other to make a plus sign. "My quirk allows me to create clones of myself made of hard light. I'm going to create a copy of myself for each of you, just try not to let them get killed maybe."

Suddenly, a red aura formed around her body, before several blue wisps began to emit from the aura, forming into clones of herself. These clones were a bit different— They had blue hair, blue markings on their outfit, and seemed much more happy and excited. Once Miss Negative had finished, she sighed and sat against the open doorway, seemingly exhausted from the effort.

"Great, even more weirdos being added to the mix," Paper Mache whispered loudly to Drama Boss.

"Haha yeah… Wait, are you talking about me too?" Drama Boss stomped the ground like a kid having a tantrum, and Paper Mache laughed.

"Alright alright, we're heading in. You'll be going one at a time every fifteen seconds, don't forget that no un-heroic actions are allowed, like fighting with other students! Working together is allowed of course, but that might not be wise for this test—"

"Because only the first thirty that make it to the end will be able to make it into U.A."

With those final words, Power Loader motioned to the other two, who followed him inside.

After a few minutes of organizing, they got into a line and began to head in one at a time, each person accompanying one of the clones, each calling themselves "Miss Positive." The air was tense, as everyone thought about the fact that only about half of them could make it.

"I'm totally gonna make it before anyone else!" Mei was confident, though they were near the end of the line of students.

Izuku thought about what Power Loader had explained, and decided on something as they reached the entrance.

"Mei… I definitely want to try and tackle this alone if I can," he told her. "N-Not that I don't want your help, but I have a lot to prove to myself!"

The girl smirked and nodded to him. "Of course! I feel the same way!"

When it was Mei's turn, she stepped forward, sliding the goggles from her head over her eyes and giving a thumbs up to her partner Miss Positive. Then she turned back to Izuku and extended a fist.

"I'll see ya at the end, Midoriya," Mei said with a grin.

Izuku smiled and bumped fists with her. "I'll be waiting for you there, Mei!"

When she had left and fifteen seconds had passed, it was Izuku's turn to go. Everyone who had left was nowhere in sight, having hurried into the city immediately when it was their time.

"Hope you'll be able to keep me alive for a while," the Miss Positive said happily to Izuku, with a big beaming smile on her face.

_That's… A little dark, I don't know how these clones work exactly,_ Izuku thought, chuckling nervously at what she had said.

"Go on," Miss Negative spoke with a yawn, thumbing towards the doorway.

With that, Izuku and his Miss Positive nodded to each other ran into the training grounds. He stayed a bit behind her, taking the chance to look around for anything out of the usual.

Almost instantly, Izuku realized something was off. As they ran, he looked back and saw that the entrance had seemingly disappeared, being replaced with a building almost instantly.

_Is this place changing? How? It hasn't even been ten seconds since we entered… _He thought. While he was distracted, he heard a rumbling noise ahead. Looking forward, Izuku saw that Miss Positive had hit a pitfall trap and was falling in. _O-Oh no!_

Izuku jumped forward, diving straight for the deep pit. He reached forward and managed to grab the woman's arm, before clicking in the pointer finger of his right glove, squeezing it tightly before releasing after a second. His Flow made a louder whirring sound than ever as it shot out its strongest possible blast of air from his right boot, giving him the boost he needed to get out of the fall and land safely with Miss Positive on the other side of the trap.

_That was close already,_ he thought, taking a breath. _As long as we take it slow this should be-_

Izuku gasped as he looked over and saw Miss Positive already running off again.

"H-Hey, wait—!" Izuku got up and ran after the woman, who was seemingly very excited to continue onward.

_I-Is this where the real difficulty is, keeping up with a reckless Hero?_ Izuku sighed as he caught up, shaking his head and focusing himself. _This is fine, I can do this!_

Heading into the unknown dangers ahead, Izuku could only believe in himself and the months upon months of training he and Mei had gone through.

Meanwhile….

* * *

Loud explosive noises echoed through the city, as many traps were set off repeatedly. Through the smoke and dust, Mei emerged, sliding to a halt, catching her balance and wiping sweat from her brow.

"How was that? These traps are easily spotted by my Quirk!"

Miss Positive approached her, excitedly clapping. "Wow! So amazing!"

"There's nothing I can't figure out! Though…" Mei put a hand to her chin and turned to the new obstacle in their path.

It was an extremely tall steel wall intersecting the street, and several streets over, with many wires all over and visible electrical charges shooting off of it. On top of it was what appeared to be a prop cut-out of Drama Boss.

"**Hahaha, you're on your way, but what can you do yo surpass this literal immovable wall?"** The booming voice Drama Boss had used when he first appeared echoed all around.

Mei examined the wall from a distance. "Too tall to go up, too shocky to touch. Well…"

She looked over to Miss Positive, who was squatting dangerously close to the wall, examining it. Mei smirked to herself.

_I've got just the baby for the job~_

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Entrance Exams Pt. III**


	6. Entrance Exams Pt III

_**A/N: Thanks for all the support thus far! I might slow down the chapter releases eventually but, for now...I'm kinda on a roll.**_

_**This chapter was really fun to write; But don't forget to drop a Review with your thoughts so I can always try and improve! **_

* * *

**Chapter Six: Entrance Exams Pt. III**

Izuku's first real obstacle came quickly as he and Miss Positive were forced to hide in an alleyway, waiting for what they had seen to pass them by.

It was a large road-roller, being controlled by what appeared to be a paper doll of sorts, going quickly through the streets and flattening anything in its path. Izuku gulped.

_Are they sure there's no danger to us…? That seems a bit much._

When they snuck out of the alley, there was a screech. They looked and saw that the large vehicle had spun around and was facing them now.

"Whoa! That's not good," Miss Positive said with a big smile, as if it wasn't a concern.

"Run!" Izuku grabbed the woman's arm to drag her along, knowing it was hopeless to get her to go otherwise. There were screeches as the road roller was kicked into gear and went flying towards them.

_All the ways out of the street are closed up! We won't make it to the next alleyway..!_

Izuku slid to a stop and tried a door, finding that it wouldn't budge, and all the windows were boarded up from the inside. He looked back, seeing the vehicle almost upon them.

_I-I really don't want to do this, but…_

"Excuse me!" Izuku turned to Miss Positive and scooped her up into his arms, much to her delight. His face was turning intensely red as he felt her softness, trying desperately to not make eye contact.

He clicked in both of his pointer fingers, holding them in. The Flow began to whirr as it packed in more and more air from around.

_More… More! _After a few more moments, he released his fingers. The Flow activated and shot powerful blasts of air from his boots, sending them both into the air rapidly. The vehicle flew by underneath them, but there was no time to waste as the paper doll jumped up into the air at them at an alarming speed.

Izuku managed to kick off the wall of a building to dodge, as he watched the doll try to grab onto Miss Positive.

_That thing was fast! Paper Mache's quirk is no joke,_ he thought as they started to fall back down to the ground. He held out his left foot and readied to fire a blast of air from it to catch them—

_Shing! _Suddenly, the paper doll flew down past them. Izuku looked in surprise, finding that it had severed the tubes between the boot and the Flow backpack— But it was too late to stop the device, as it shot out a large burst from around his leg area, sending them flying down the street uncontrollably.

_Gotta… counter… our momentum!_ They were heading for another building at an alarming speed. Judging the distance, Izuku held out his working right boot towards the building, while keeping his attention focused on the doll.

As he thought, it jumped towards them again, this time aiming straight for Miss Positive, its hands changing to thin blades. However, it wasn't ready as Izuku released the Flow charge, air bursting from the boot as he moved his right leg upward, making them spin in mid-air. His leg came up hard and kicked the doll, ripping it in half from the force. They lost a lot of momentum but still ended up flying through a window into the building, tumbling to a stop as Izuku let out a sigh of relief.

"That was close… Are you—" He screamed as he looked down, seeing the woman underneath him, her chest right in front of his face.

Quickly scrambling up, Izuku looked away, embarrassed, as Miss Positive stood and giggled.

"That was fun!~ I love this exercise," she said happily, her figure shimmering a bit for a moment. This caught Izuku's attention, and he looked at her, seeing there were a few very thin blue cracks along her body.

_Does that mean she's taken some damage? I need to be careful from now on.._

Suddenly, the light vanished from the room, as something covered the broken window, leaving them in darkness. Izuku could still see Miss Positive, who gave off a faint blue glow, so he tried to move closer to her— Only for something in the darkness to push him away.

"So, Midoriya right?"

The voice that spoke was a familiar, serious tone. He took up a defensive stance and looked around, trying to adjust to the darkness.

"That stance, it's interesting. You seem like you wanna be a Hero more than a Support huh," they spoke.

Izuku reacted as he felt something moving to his left, bringing up his arm defensively, only for it to be a weakly-thrown ball of paper that harmlessly bounces off.

"P-Paper Mache… What is this?" Izuku's eyes searched the darkness more, even the faint blue glow from Miss Positive gone.

"Being quirkless is quite the disadvantage," the man spoke, his voice seemingly shifting to come from different directions. "You can't become a Hero so you think you can sneak in another way huh?"

"That's not true," Izuku retorted. "I-I have a way… I know I can become a Hero with my own abilities!"

Something came from his right, which he managed to deflect— Another simple crumpled up paper ball that fell harmlessly away.

"Heh, someone who thinks fancy gadgets will get him into the Hero course… I respect it, but what I don't respect—"

Movement from his left made Izuku look, only for something to slam hard into his right side, making him tumble a little ways away, gasping as the surprise attack took the air out of him.

"Is stupidity!"

* * *

There was a loud rumble from nearby, making Shiro look up towards the sky warily.

The girl had been utilizing her quirk perfectly— By touching solid objects with her hand, she was able to see and sense things through them, making it fairly easy to dodge the traps and devices that were around, though it was a slow process.

However, she gasped as she saw what had made the noise up in the air. It was a girl and her Miss Positive… flying.

"Hey, why can't we do that?" Miss Positive tugged on Shiro's arm, seemingly bummed out that she couldn't do the same her.

Shiro scowled and looked down at the glove she had created— The Power Turbine.

"Well…" Shiro was a calculated risk taker, so anything she didn't know for certain would work was out of the picture in her mind. However, she _also_ knew that being too careful was probably costing them valuable time.

_I've gotta show all those cute, tall boys that I can make it! Especially Midoriya!~"_

The very short girl smiled to herself, and began to hatch her new reckless plan—

That is, until they soon found that same girl who had been soaring through the air, now lying face-down on the ground. Next to her was a group of thin, card-board bears that were dancing around her, chanting happily about how they caught her. Looking down the street, Shiro spotted a large electrified wall, which seemed incredibly tall and impenetrable.

_W-Well... No way past any of this nonsense—_

Movement intruded her thoughts, as someone ran past the girl on the ground, rushing through the odd living props and scattering them. It was the pink-haired girl she remembered Izuku talking to a lot, so Shiro watched her closely.

Mei was running, using her propulsion boots to make herself move a bit faster, with her Miss Positive riding piggy-back.

"You're actually super light! This should be easy," Mei said as they neared the wall.

_Obviously theres no way they'll make that!_ Shiro thought as they watched, a smirk on her face. _Guess not everyone here is that smart._

"Alright, use it now!" At Mei's call, Miss Positive took out something the girl had given her.

It was a small cylindrical bomb of sorts with a black substance inside. Miss Positive threw it ahead of them. The container hit the wall and burst, sending a sort of black goo all over. Mei jumped and pressed her legs together, metal rods sliding out from her pants and sticking to the metal, magnetised to it. This gave her stability as she stood perpendicular on the wall, smiling at her success.

The black goop that exploded everywhere washed over them, but Mei didn't seem to care as she began to trudge up the wall, the electricity not affecting them.

_Whats that? Some kind of insulator?! _Shiro was in disbelief as she watched Mei climb all the way up the wall, before hopping over it.

Mei hadn't planned on testing out her new discovery yet, but she always felt like there was no better test than a practical one.

The bomb had been created by studying some of the sludge villain they had encountered nearly a year ago, which she had swiped a sample from while All Might wasn't looking. From her tests, she had found that it seemed to be impervious to most things, like physical attacks, fire, electricity—

There was a major application of it that became apparent, but she didn't want to tell Izuku yet, knowing it would help him out immensely in the future. Instead, she had brought one of her experiments using it, just in case an opportunity arised.

As they reached the top of the wall and hopped over. Miss Positive gave the cutout of Drama Boss a peace sign as they passed it.

"**W-Well, good work,"** the prop spoke.

The two fell fast, but landed easily thanks to Mei's propulsion boots. She let Miss Positive down and they shared a high five, not caring that they were incredibly messy in the black goop.

"Worked like a cha—"

...Then they looked up and saw the looming, monstrous shape above them.

* * *

Izuku stood and backed up a bit, feeling the wall behind himself, trying to remember the room's size when he had first arrived.

"I'm not gonna cheat and snuff out your chances of passing this exam," Paper Mache spoke. "But I don't mind taking out that crazy idea you have ingrained in your head."

_I can't see him or sense him coming… _He clenched his fists and felt the EMP bracers he had created. _Here goes nothing!_

Izuku waited for a moment, before putting his right foot against the wall and charging his Flow with a moderate charge. When he released it, he went flying forward blindly, and slammed the bracers together, sending out a visible wave of electricity all around as the magnetic field was warped. He looked around with his eyes, spotting the point at which the field seemed to pass through something and dissipate.

_There he is!_ Izuku twisted in mid-air, bringing his right fist upwards to try and catch where he believed Paper Mache to be.

However, his fist hit nothing except a piece of paper, which floated away from his attack. He slid to a stop, feeling the opposite wall of the room just behind him now.

"Jeez, you're persistent that's for sure. Sorry kid, I'm tellin ya that it ain't gonna go your way—"

"S-Shut up!" Izuku was feeling a bit of anger rising in himself. "You're the one whose wrong!"

They only had limited time to make it to the end of the test, and Izuku already felt like he had many disadvantages going in. Now that his dream was slowly becoming more and more visible in his mind, thanks to the efforts he and Mei had gone through, there was a Hero trying to knock him back down, bringing up familiar memories.

_Kacchan… It's just like him, pushing me down… But I won't get pushed down anymore!_

In the darkness, Izuku knelt down, not looking away from the darkness as he began to fiddle with the severed tube on the left side of the Flow.

There was a sigh from Paper Mache, who shrugged in the darkness. "Well, you'll come to thank me one day."

The man moved silently through the shadows, his many years of espionage and intelligence gathering making him impossible to detect. As he grew close to Izuku, he flicked his hand, making one of the balls of paper fly over from Izuku's left. As he expected, the boy turned left and punched downward at it with his right hand, leaving his back open to where Paper Mache really was.

_This time I'll break his toy, that oughta do it,_ Paper Mache thought as he struck out at him.

However, Izuku didn't stop with the punch. Instead, he kept moving his hand down to the ground, before bringing his left leg up and back straight towards Paper Mache, who was taken off-guard. Luckily, he managed to block the boy's kick with the arm he was attacking with, thanks to his fighting experience, and he chuckled a bit.

_Not bad actually, this kid might make a good officer or somethin—_

There was a small click as Izuku released his right index finger. A blast of air shot out from Izuku's left boot, slamming right into Paper Mache and sending him flying backwards, straight through the wall of the building.

_Gah! Dammit… He fixed it in that short amount of time?_ Paper Mache thought as he fell, thinking about how he had severed the left leg of the device. _No, he re-routed the other tube to the left leg! Just so he could surprise me?_

Izuku was breathing heavily from the anxiety and effort of the encounter, happy to see sunlight again as the hole in the wall allowed light inside the building.

There was a small dome of papers across the room, which fell away to reveal Miss Positive underneath, who looked very confused.

"W-What happened? I'm so lost," the usually happy woman spoke, seemingly on the verge of crying.

Izuku walked over to the hole in the wall and looked outside, seeing no signs of Paper Mache around.

"It's okay, were safe, for now," Izuku said, looking over at Miss Positive, giving her a confident smile. "Come on, we've gotta hurry!"

There was no more time to waste, Izuku had no idea how many had made it to the end already, if any. They headed out and eventually came to a large wall that cut right through that section of the city, seemingly not ending as they ran along it a ways. Sparks and electric currents were visible on its surface.

Izuku finally stopped and knelt down and took off his bracers, fiddling with them a bit. Miss Positive watched him, confused, as he worked for a minute.

"Shouldn't we find a way around?"

"No time!" Izuku stood and turned to the woman. "C-Can I carry you again?"

The Miss Positive giggled and acted shy. "What a straight-forward boy you are! Going for a woman like me at my age!"

Izuku groaned and got her to ride piggy-back on him. He then struck the bracers together and watched them as they began to light up a bit. _I hope this works…_

A smaller pulse than usual shot out, and then settled around the bracers in a constant gentle glow. Izuku smiled at the success. He had connected the power source of the Flow to the bracers now, helping them maintain their power.

"Perfect! Now we should be able to…"

Izuku hesitantly grabbed some of the visible wiring on the wall, watching as the electric currents went out in an area around him. With that confirmation, he began to climb, keeping his legs up close to himself, knowing that, over time, the bracers charge would wear off and the safe space would dwindled.

He climbed and climbed, and, once he reached the top, the bracers had finally cut off.

"Here we go! Hold on," Izuku called back to Miss Positive, as he grabbed the top of the wall and pulled them both over with all of his effort. Once over, he took the chance to scout out the area around.

_There…! _He spotted something a couple of blocks across the city. There, he could see several figures gathered. _That's where were going!_

They fell, and Izuku kicked off near the ground using his Flow, rushing forward through the street with Miss Positive in tow. His legs were burning from the effort as he ran, dodging many pitfall traps and swinging metal objects by keeping up his speed.

As he turned the corner of a street, he was surprised to find a large creature there. It resembled a sort of green, cliche' movie alien, but it was a thin prop made of cardboard, like a cutout. It let out a loud, low quality, angry roar that sounded like it was coming from a megaphone or something.

_This has to be Drama Boss' creation! I'll just power through!_

The prop monster tried to slam its fist down at them, but Izuku side-stepped it with ease and rushed between its legs. The monster groaned and roared before turning and lumbering after them.

They quickly arrived at the scene he had spotted from the air, with all of the people around— But his excited thoughts dropped from him instantly as he realized what it was.

They were blank, person-shaped cardboard cutouts, in a circle with one cutout of Drama Boss in the center. The cutouts were in shapes that looked like someone was laughing, and pointing right at where Izuku was.

_W-What is this? _Izuku let Miss Positive down, catching his breath.

"**Hahaha! Wrong way dummy,**" came the familiar booming voice of Drama Boss from somewhere. "**If you thought it was that easy then maybe you should—**"

"Shut _up!_" Izuku's yell cut off Drama Boss, who could be heard letting out a gasp of surprise. "S-Sorry, Mr. Drama Boss… Long day!"

Izuku quickly motioned to Miss Positive and they left the scene. After a few moments, the cutout of Drama Boss poofed into a wisp of smoke, and, when it cleared, the large man was standing there, a bit dumbfounded and saddened.

"G-Geez, some of these kids are so mean… He didn't let me use my cool special effects and stuff..." He sniffled, fighting back potential tears. "At least he still has to deal with my other props…"

_Still, I wonder what happened to Mache? He seems like he's gone silent,_ Drama Boss thought seriously, looking down at his watch.

_Well, I should start heading towards the end so I can mess with some more people,_ he thought, grabbing the cutouts under his big arms and whistling happily as he casually headed out.

* * *

_**~Late-Chapter Break~**_

**Name: Mikuru Koizumi 'Drama Boss'**

**Age: 35**

**Quirk: Prop Transformation- Can turn any non-living thing (with the exception of himself) he touches into a fake prop and make it act.**

**Personality: Dramatic, emotional, caring.**

**Power: 3/5 C - Speed 1/5 D - Technique 5/5 A - Intelligence 3/5 C- Cooperativeness 5/5 B**

* * *

The end goal of the test was a round pavilion near the back end of the large testing city, marked with many flags and other such things to symbolize it as the finish. The buildings all around did well to hide it however, making it hard to spot from anywhere outside that block.

Power Loader watched as another hopeful approached, their Miss Positive partner along with them.

"Good work," he spoke to the boy, who cheered and went to join the others. Power Loader looked up at the sky, noting the Sun's position.

_Not much time left, only about twenty have made it so far,_ he thought.

Then, as if purposefully intruding on his thinking, someone jumped down right in front of him. It was a pink-haired girl with her Miss Positive riding piggyback, both of them covered in dirt and something else he couldn't perceive.

"You look like you had a rough time," he commented.

Mei laughed. "Nope! It was fun though!"

"Fun huh?" He watched the girl as she let the woman off her back and went off to the others. "I hope those other two didn't slack off…"

More and more time passed until forty-four hopefuls had made it to the end. Power Loader had been informed via Miss Negative how many of her clones had been destroyed, so he knew there were only a few more out there.

_Well, they've had plenty of time. We'll just have uneven classes maybe—_

There was a loud noise, and everyone looked over, watching as a green-haired boy ran towards the pavilion, completely exhausted, Miss Positive in his arms.

Behind him, a large prop of an alien-like monster came in and tried to reach for him. However, Izuku began to fall forward, Miss Positive jumping out of his arms as he collapsed, dodging the prop beast.

The prop groaned and seemed to get embarrassed with so many eyes on it, turning and running off, in true Drama Boss fashion.

"Midoriya!" Mei ran out to him and looked down at him, smirking. "So you made a dramatic last second entrance huh?"

Izuku rolled over onto his back, breathing heavily, looking up at the girl. He smiled and let out an exhausted laugh, both from relief and the sight of how messy Mei was.

"I tried… to impress you… I guess," he said weakly.

Mei laughed and lowered a fist down towards him. He weakly lifted his own and bumped fists with her.

They had both made it to the end of the exam.

"Great, that'll conclude the test then," Power Loader spoke as he received confirmation from Miss Negative that the few others in the city had lost their Hero. "You've done well to get this far, but will be closely assessing how you did over the next week to report who will make it in—"

"So don't start celebrating yet."

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: A Letter and a Spark**


	7. A Letter and a Spark

**Chapter Seven - A Letter and a Spark**

After the exam had finished, Izuku, Mei, and a few others were forced to go and see the school nurse, Recovery Girl, just in case, due to them looking more beat up than the others. When they were deemed alright, they were sent on their way, knowing that within a couple of days they would learn of their fates.

While leaving, Shiro happened to be waiting in line to see the nurse, her arm a bit scuffed up with her destroyed Strength Turbine on it. She flashed Izuku a look of happiness, but instantly turned it into one of disdain as she saw Mei with him, not even trying to hide it at all.

"T-That was…"

"She's just jealous of my inventions! I mean, who wouldn't be?" Mei laughed it off as they left the building.

Izuku and Mei went their separate ways, deciding to prepare for the news of their results and rest for a while.

When Izuku arrived home, his worried Mom was there to greet him, running up and hugging him.

"Oh Izuku… How did it go? Are you hurt?"

The boy smiled brightly, much to his Mother's surprise. She had always seen the fire inside of him that drove him to want to be a Hero, but she also sensed the dread inside of him ever since they had discovered his lack of a Quirk.

"It went great, Mom! I—"

He was cut off as his Mother noticed that the track suit he had taken with him had a large cut near his left ankle. She panicked a bit and examined it thoroughly.

"H-Hey! I'm alright, really," Izuku said. His Mother stood, still looking worried. "I think I did well… I might be able to reach my dream after all!"

Izuku's Mom looked at her son's confident expression, seeing the flowing determination that she hadn't seen since he was younger…

And she cried.

"M-Mom!" Izuku was taken off guard at his Mom's crying. She had always been hyper emotional, and it had rubbed off on Izuku over the years as well, but now he felt… Different.

The past year had changed his life. Izuku no longer wanted to cry at the slightest provocation, didn't feel his legs shake when something mildly perturbing came his way. Now, all he wanted was to stand tall and wear his confidence and his beliefs on his shoulder.

"Well, make sure to get plenty of rest for now— And invite that girl over soon," his Mother said with a smile as she finally turned to leave him be.

Izuku gasped, feeling his legs shaking at the sudden realization.

_W-What? She knew about Mei this whole time?_

He had been trying to keep it a secret, at least the fact that Mei was a girl, but he realized quickly he couldn't hide much from his Mother.

Looking back, she noticed how shaken he was, so she smiled innocently and said, "When you had passed out while studying, I saw it on a notebook— 'Izuku and Mei'! So cute!"

Izuku literally collapsed from the embarrassment.

* * *

A week later, Izuku was deep in thought during dinner time. His mother worriedly looked at him as he was staring intensely at the food before him.

"Izuku…?"

He didn't respond, lost in his thoughts.

"Why are you smiling at the fish head?!"

Izuku gasped at his Mother's exclamation, shaking the thoughts from his head and smiling up at her.

"I-It's nothing, I just feel really confident," Izuku stated as he continued eating.

There was a look in his Mother's eyes that he'd seen all too many times over the years. She was much more worried about him failing than he was, and Izuku fully understood. Being quirkless in this world was practically a death sentence to your life being mundane, the exact opposite of what Izuku wanted.

But he had hope. He knew he was able to pass through the exam and impress them, at least in some way.

After dinner, Izuku took to lifting some hand weights, knowing he needed to keep his strength up. _The goal is the Hero course, I can't let anything stop me! Even rejection!_

Soon, the door flew open and his Mother entered in a frenzy, incredibly nervous. She held up a letter that was a bit crumpled in one hand, and another in her other hand that had the official U.A seal on it.

"T-Two letters came for you! One from U.A and another from A-America!"

Izuku's eyes widened. He took the letters and looked them over. Something thick was inside of the U.A letter, while the other seemed normal enough, but was addressed with an American flag postal stamp, saying it was from the "Folded Note Hero Institution", or FNHI for short.

_FNHI! I think they specialize in secret operations… There's even a branch here in Japan! Then this is from…?_

Izuku excused himself to his room to open the letters, while his Mother nervously paced back and forth outside of his door.

His heart was beating fast with anticipation, knowing his life was going to change in mere moments. Firstly, he decided to open the letter from the American institution, knowing already who it must he from. He opened it cautiously, but didn't seem to feel that the paper was under control or anything. Izuku began to read it:

_Hey, I'm not one to do this, but Power Loader was really frickin' mad about what I'd done so I'll put on a face— You did alright, maybe you're not a hopeless loser after all. But don't stop training kid, or you'll just get yourself killed! It's a cutthroat world out there, so watching your back is all you can do to guarantee success! So… Yeah, that's it. I'm headed back to America so adios forever, hopefully!_

_From, Paper Mache_

_PS: I'm too far away to control this paper so don't be too scared of it, ya pansy._

Izuku blinked and re-read it quickly. He set the note down in disbelief.

_A-A letter straight from a pro Hero? I'll have to cherish this forever!_ He thought gleefully inside, but managing to make himself remain calm on the outside. _Maybe he's not such a bad guy after all… I hope I can work with him in the future. But that can only happen if…_

Izuku took the U.A letter, holding it in both hands. He was shaking a bit with anticipation, and fought to keep his nerves about him.

"I can so this!" As he shouted, he accidentally ripped the letter in half, and a circular metal device fell out, landing on his desk.

The device powered on, and projected a screen up in the air, which surprised Izuku as it lit up the darkness of his room.

On the screen, Power Loader stood. Izuku watched him intensely. The Pro Hero scratched his face as he seemed a bit reluctant to speak.

"Ah, Izuku Midoriya— You know, it's really hard for someone with no quirk to get accepted into U.A," Power Loader began. "It's a hassle, and frankly I wouldn't think anyone could do it."

Izuku gulped at those words, clenching his fists tightly.

"However… You have potential. More than most of the others we studied through the examination," he continued. "In terms of how you scored…"

Power Loader pointed to another screen that popped up beside himself. There were four numbers presented:

**Ingenuity: 90%**

**Inventions: 80%**

**Damage Taken: 20% **

**Danger Rating: 50%**

"You have high creativity and your creations seem quality, you also managed to have your Hero take very little damage. But you can be pretty reckless it seems, so I expect you to rectify that overtime. Not everything is settled head-on, that's something a hard-headed Hero might do… Like myself, I suppose.."

Izuku stood up as the realization began to dawn on him, taking in Power Loader's every word.

"That is to say, starting this school year, you'll be entering my class of 1-H. So congrats and all of that, but don't expect me to go easy on you because you're quirkless, got it?" Power Loader looked at someone off camera. "Is that it? I'm already tired of making these—"

With that, the transmission cut out, leaving Izuku in a shocked silence.

After a few moments, his Mother opened the door, seeing him standing there frozen. She ran up and shook his shoulder worryingly.

"Izuku! Izuku what's wrong? It'll be okay," she spoke sadly, tears welling up in her eyes—

However, when Izuku turned to her, he was smiling, tears streaming down his face.

"Mom… I made it!"

His Mother broke down and cried, hugging her son in a death grip. "Izuku! I'm so sorry for what I've said before!"

Izuku hugged his Mother, knowing it wasn't her fault for what she had said back then, how she didn't tell him he could be a Hero without any powers. He couldn't blame her for that, especially now.

Izuku was finally on his way to his dream.

* * *

The next day, Izuku woke up early to go seek out Mei, wanting desperately to tell her the news. Halfway, he stopped and took out his phone, thinking for a moment.

_Do I bother her too much in person? Maybe I should just call—_

Suddenly, his phone began to ring, scaring him. He fumbled with it before picking it up and putting it to his ear.

"H-Hello?"

"Midoriya!" Mei's shout through the phone made Izuku jump a bit. "Where are you? You got your results right? I'm already coming to find you!"

"E-Ehh? But I was coming to your—"

"Oh wait, I see you! Heads up!"

Izuku looked around, before spotting the pink-haired girl rapidly approaching him using her propulsion boots. He panicked and braced for impact, but Mei managed to slide to a halt right in front of him, leaning in close.

"Hey! You got accepted too right?!" Mei's shouts drew odd looks from around from early morning joggers and such in the park they were standing in.

"O-Of course!" Izuku smiled to the girl. "I did really well! I'm going to be in Power Loader's class!"

Mei grinned and raised a fist into the air. "Really? Me too! What a coincidence!" She laughed. "I don't know what a '100% Danger Rating' means, but apparently I have really high potential!"

Izuku chuckled, able to imagine just how Power Loader would've talked about Mei "being a reckless endangerment," which was an understatement to say the least.

There was more to Mei though, and Izuku knew that. She was energetic, sure, but that all came from her insanely positive attitude and kindess that only someone who was pursuing their dream could truly have.

"Mei… Thank you," Izuku said, looking away a bit shyly.

"Pfft, for what? It was all you!"

"I-I didn't know what to do before you helped me," Izuku said sheepishly. "I was just a quirkless boy with a dream and n-nothing to back it up…"

Mei shook her head and patted Izuku's head like a child. This made him gasp in surprise and get a bit flustered at the gesture.

"Ya gotta give yourself credit sometimes you know," Mei said. "You've helped inspired lots and lots of babies from me!"

That exclamation left people around them very disturbed as they went out of their way to avoid the two.

"I-I guess so, we make a good team," Izuku said with a nervous chuckle as he saw the weird looks being tossed their way. "I didn't ask but… What did you come up with for the first phase of the exam?"

"Oh, that? That baby was way too advanced! I really outdid myself— They wouldn't even let me use it in the second phase," she answered with a laugh. "You see, it was a—"

There was a cough from behind that interrupted them. They turned and saw that it was a familiar face.

"You're… Yuki?" Izuku looked at the well-built, tall, blonde guy, who was wearing a white track suit with a towel around his neck, obviously in the midst of a morning routine.

Yuki nodded stoically and looked at both of them with judging eyes, making Izuku feel a bit uncomfortable. The boy's pupils looked at though they were divided into two separate ones on each eye, conjoined almost into an infinity symbol, likely a mutation from his Quirk.

"If you really made it in, you're in for disappointment," Yuki spoke plainly.

Izuku blinked at this. "W-what do you mean?"

"The fact that you barely made it through the second phase. There's no way you're ready," he commented, before pointing to Mei. "Her? That girl's scary. She might get your hopes up because she's gifted, but don't let that get to you."

"I am pretty gifted huh," Mei said with a wink to Izuku, before clearing her throat and pointing at Yuki. "Midoriya is wayyy more prepared for this than you are, you have no idea!"

"M-Mei!" Izuku didn't know what to do. He didn't mind her standing up for him, but he was afraid of what embarrassing things she might say.

Yuki scoffed and turned away, wiping some sweat from his brow with the towel. "Maybe you're not as bright as I took you for. He's probably dragging you down."

As the boy began to walk away, Mei clenched her fist and it began to tremble a bit. Izuku looked at her worriedly, seeing she had a big smile as she was glaring at Yuki.

"It's okay Midoriya, don't let people like that get to ya," Mei said through gritted teeth.

_A-Are you sure you aren't just saying that for yourself? _Izuku thought.

* * *

Izuku and Mei celebrated that day, going for shopping trips and hanging out at several places, something Mei usually didn't like to do, except she felt excited and wanted to buy new parts that weren't scrap for once.

"Soon we'll have like, an infinite number of stuff at our disposal!" Mei spread her arms in the air as if to emphasize her point. "It's gonna be so cool!" She took a huge bite of her ice cream, twitching a bit at the cold but still smiling all the same.

The two were sitting on a bench, enjoying the nice weather as the Sun began to set.

"Yeah, I can't wait!" Izuku nodded and closed his eyes, taking in the gentle breeze.

_I'm on my way. My story starts soon—_

_The story of the Quirkless Hero!_

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The First Day**


	8. The First Day

**Chapter Eight: The First Day**

For the remainder of their Middle School life, Izuku did his best to avoid any discussion about acceptance into U.A. Luckily, Bakugo _was_ the only one accepted into the Hero course, so all the talk was about him and nobody focused on what Izuku was doing.

"I'm just the fuckin' greatest like I've always said," Bakugo said loudly with all of their fellow students crowded around him.

Izuku sighed at this. _Kacchan… When I'm ready to face you, you'll be surprised by how much stronger I've become!_

He closed his notebook, the cover of which stated "Support Hero Deku Vol. 3".

When the bell rang on their final day, Izuku was quick to slip away. He wasn't sure if he would be able to contain himself if Bakugo started to taunt him. He needed to keep it a secret for as long as he could to take him by surprise!

"_Midoriya!_"

Izuku jumped and looked over at the nearby bushes at the front of the school, where Mei had popped out, all covered in leaves.

"W-what are you doing? Why were you hiding?"

Mei grinned and held out something to Izuku. He took it, looking it over. It was a sort of thin capsule of sorts with a pin at the top, like a grenade pin, which only worried him.

"For when Bakugo hunts you down! It's a smoke bomb!"

"What?! Why would he do that?" Izuku looked around then leaned in close, whispering. "He doesn't know yet!"

"What? Why not—" Izuku stopped Mei from speaking by putting his hand over her mouth and dragging her over behind a wall, peeking out as people started exiting the school building. He let go of Mei who took a breath and continued. "You totally should've taken him down a peg!"

Izuku shook his head. "Not yet… I'm going to avoid it til I'm ready to face him."

Mei huffed and crossed her arms, looking away from him. "Well, sounds to me like you're just scared."

Izuku was going to retort, but loud yells from the front gate made him peer around to see Bakugo exiting the school, a small crowd following him.

"Deku! Already ran off with your tail between your legs?" Bakugo laughed as he called out to him.

With a sigh, Izuku turned to Mei, only to find her gone. He looked to see her leaving the cover of the wall, pointing to Izuku.

"He's over here!"

Izuku froze up as she called that out. She winked to him and waved before running off. Before Izuku could go after her, Bakugo came around the corner in an explosive blur. He smirked widely at Izuku, who gulped.

"So, nerd, you finally see the gap in our skills? I'm destined to become the #1 Hero," Bakugo taunted.

The other students began to crowd around. Izuku clenched his fist around what Mei had given him, thinking about what she had said.

_Stand up to him? But I… It's not…_ He thought about what to do, as the boy approached him and pushed him. Usually, Izuku would've been knocked to the ground, but he merely took a step back. Bakugo noticed the resistance and frowned.

"What are you gonna do? Throw tears at me?" Bakugo held his hands up, making mini explosions on them. "Come on, do somethin!"

Izuku held up his fist, gathering his nerves as he closed his eyes, focusing on stopping his shaking.

"Is Deku going to do it?"

"Whoa, a real fight?"

As the other students began to murmur, Izuku took a step forward, raising his fist— And he slammed the smoke grenade into the ground, the pin spinning around his pointer finger. As soon as it made contact, a wide cloud of smoke burst out, making everyone panic. Bakugo shields himself from surprise, then begins to swipe it away, looking for Izuku.

"What the hell? The nerd's a magician now?" Bakugo scowled and looked around for the green haired boy.

Izuku was already long gone, having escaped the scene as fast as he possibly could.

_Dammit Mei! I can't unlive that embarrassment now!_

* * *

A couple of weeks had passed, and it was finally time for their first day at U.A High School. Izuku was suited up in his grey uniform and red tie, with his Flow hidden within his yellow school backpack, something he had worked on doing since having Flow out in the open at all times was a detriment.

"Izuku!"

Izuku turned as he was putting his shoes on, seeing his mother coming up to him with her usual expression of worry.

"Mom, I might already be late at this point…"

She shook her head and smiled. "You just… You look really cool."

Izuku blushed slightly and smiled. "I'll tell you all about it later! Cya!"

With that, he headed out, quickly making his way to the school grounds.

U.A was a massive school, so even with directions posted around, it was incredibly hard to find his classroom. Though he made sure to take a detour, making his way past the 1-A Hero Class and 1-C and 1-D General Education classes to try and sneak a peek, before finally reaching a large door leading to the 1-F class. He continued moving along that corridor, arriving at the end where Class 1-H was located.

After taking a deep breath, Izuku slid open the large door slowly and peeked inside.

"You're lucky you're really cool and tall or I swear—"

The shouting made Izuku look over to one of the desks where he noticed the very short Shiro pointing up accusingly at the tall and stoic Yuki, who seemed mildly annoyed.

"Shut up," he said simply before sitting down at a desk.

Shiro was absolutely steaming over something, so Izuku tried to sneak inside. However, this proved fruitless as Mei came out of nowhere and threw her arm around Izuku's neck, making him jump in surprise.

"Hey Midoriya! I figured you'd be late!"

"N-No way! I thought you might if you stayed up all night," he commented.

Mei laughed and shook Izuku a bit. "Never! I got at least three hours of sleep like you taught me to!"

"That's… definitely less than what I said," Izuku retorted.

"Ehh? Eight, three, what are numbers anyways," Mei said with another laugh.

Izuku smiled until he saw that Shiro and Yuki were sending them very annoyed looks, making him gulp. _H-Hopefully we can all become more friendly through our classes…_

It wasn't long before Power Loader arrived, his presence making everyone stop and look his way. He looked around the room, seeing many not having taken a desk yet.

"So this is a classroom, maybe you guys should sit down?" The suggestion from the man had quite the serious undertone to it, making everyone scatter and quickly find a seat. "Good."

Izuku and Mei had found seats at about the middle of the class, though, to Izuku's dismay, Shiro was on his left and in front of her was Yuki. He could only hope on the thought that the class might help bring them together more, instead of feeling like enemies.

The desks themselves were a bit bigger and wider than typical school desks, Izuku assumed that was so they could be used for creating things perhaps. The class had fifteen students total in it, so perhaps bigger desks helped fill the room a bit more.

Power Loader took the front podium of the class, holding onto it with his metal-tipped fingers. He was still wearing his usual yellow helmet in the shape of an excavator claw, but now was wearing a sleeveless white shirt, which was different from his usual look.

"You probably know me as Power Loader, but Mr. Maijima works too. I'll be your Homeroom Teacher," he explained. "We've already met for your examination, but nice to meet ya regardless. Also— They made me wear a shirt for my first day, so don't get used to that."

Both Izuku and Mei couldn't help their excitement at seeing a Pro Hero, practically bursting with readiness, though both for different reasons as for Izuku getting to be close to a Pro Hero was like a dream, and Mei was ready to create amazing things under this sensei's guidance.

"While a typical school might focus on orientation and an opening ceremony… We won't be doing any of that," Power Loader said before pointing up at them all. "As far as I'm concerned, if we don't get started as soon as possible, then the Heroes will be too far ahead of us to truly Support them!"

_So the U.A program really is atypical huh,_ Izuku thought with a smile.

A hand was raised, so Power Loader nodded to them. "Urushima, correct?"

It was a fair-skinned girl with curly red hair swayed to one side. She stood to ask her question. "Um… Is it true that most of our work will be outside this classroom?"

"I see some of the older students got to you first— But yes, this is your Homeroom Class. I expect you all to not dirty it up or destroy it," Power Loader warned. "Your teachers will allow a bit of tinkering as long as you aren't disturbing the lesson."

He turned towards the chalkboard behind himself, taking some chalk and beginning to write with an elegance that they wouldn't have expected, given his large hands and the metal pieces on his fingers.

"As I assume you read before coming, your schedule will go as follows— Core classes in the morning, then lunch, followed by Support specific courses with me in the afternoon and free workshop to end the day," Power Loader explained. He then turned to the class again. "Don't exhaust yourself by overworking on projects. You can't flunk your general studies here ya know."

Now. Yuki's hand went up, and he stood when acknowledged. "I have an understanding that the Support classes are very competitive, unlike the Hero and Business classes," he began, "What sort of things should we expect then?"

"Ah more rumors, not baseless though," Power Loader said with a big grin. "It's true you might need to help each other out and share inspiration, but generally I've seen students excel when they have to go against each other."

Power Loader suddenly produced several more pieces of chalk between his fingers and began to rapidly write something on the board, managing to write so many things in only a few moments. The title at the top read:

"**Power Loader's Challenge Course!"**

"In this class, you will be allowed to challenge others to any competition you agree upon," their teacher explained. "It doesn't even have to be related to Support, this is just to ignite your spirits."

_Competition! I thought we'd be able to get closer in this class!_ Izuku looked over to see Yuki eyeing him, while Shiro was seemingly sending dirty looks over towards Mei. _T-This is going to be a difficult year…_

"That being said, I expect all of you to take part in challenges, if you don't and the year passes by, I _will_ fail you," Power Loader told them. "Don't worry though, I'll only allow one challenge to be issued upon a person per week, less you all duke it out every day and hate each others guts. But you can challenge as many people you want otherwise. It'll affect your overall class placement in the end!"

Izuku began to take some notes, already preparing himself. He could see many other students doing the same, feeling a rising tension in the air as everyone thought about the challenges ahead.

Power Loader took notice of the atmosphere and smirked. _Another fresh year, should be entertaining._

"Well anyways, in place of your general studies for this first day, we'll be doing Support work instead. So, I'll show you all the Workshop."

* * *

_**~Late Chapter Break~**_

**Name: Maijima Higari 'Power Loader'**

**Age: 40**

**Quirk: Iron Claws - Iron tipped fingers allow him to burrow through the ground and other things with ease.**

**Personality: Stern, competitive, secretly caring.**

**Power: 5 / 5 A- Speed 3 / 5 C- Technique 2 / 5 D - Intelligence 4 / 5 B - Cooperativeness 3 / 5 C**

* * *

They accompanied Power Loader to the school's Workshop down the hall, past the other two Support classes. Everyone was keeping a bit of distance from each other, as if highly wary of everyone.

"Don't you think making us this cautious of each other early on is a bad thing," Izuku whispered over to Mei.

"Nope! If anything it gets me more fired up," Mei said back louder than Izuku would've liked.

The workshop was much smaller than the one they had taken the first phase of their Entrance Exam in, but it was still about three times as big as their homeroom class. The walls were filled with various tools and unidentifiable objects, with many long workbenches strewn about as well.

"This is the first workshop of many on campus," Power Loader explained. "As it's the closest one to the classes, you'll often find yourself here to do your work. I've snagged it for us this morning, but we'll move to the second workshop for the afternoon class."

He looked to all his students, who all still seemed a bit squeamish.

_Jeez, they're really taking this too seriously, I'm sure they'll loosen up after someone—_

"Sensei, if you don't mind, I wanted to ask when it's appropriate to challenge someone," Yuki spoke up.

"You can issue a challenge anytime, and I'll let you know when we can do it," Power Loader told him.

Yuki nodded at this and turned to Izuku, who blinked up at him in confusion. He pointed down right into his face, making Izuku panic a bit.

"Then I will be challenging Midoriya, because he's the weakest willed of everyone here!"

Everyone was surprised by the sudden issuance, but nobody more than Izuku, who took a step back and looked around.

"B-B-But—"

Power Loader laughed. "Of course, if you want. You'll both need to decide the terms and we can do it in the afternoon."

Yuki dropped his hand and crossed his arms, turning away from Izuku but giving him a sidelong glance.

"I'll show you just how much you drag others down," Yuki muttered.

_W-What did I do to deserve this?!_

* * *

The first morning went by quickly, with Power Loader having them experiment with devices the first year students of the previous year had created.

Mei had fun with it, excitedly going through the devices and seeing what she would have done differently or how their design was similar to something she had made before.

Izuku, who was still worried about the challenge, ended up messing up when fiddling with the circuitry of a device that was supposed to constrain a villain's arms the more they moved, ending up bursting it into a poof of smoke and fire which he put out in a hurry.

With a sigh, Izuku looked around, hoping nobody saw. But, of course, Yuki had noticed, turning away and shaking his head.

"Don't let him get to you," came the voice of Shiro. Izuku looked nearby to see the short girl hopped up onto his workbench. "He's a big jerk— But he's totally dreamy right?"

"I-I don't know about that," Izuku said with a nervous chuckle. He slid slightly away, only for Shiro to scoot closer. "U-Um…"

Mei came in, dumping some things in front of Izuku, surprising him as usual.

"Midoriya! Look at all this stuff! Isn't it cool?"

"Uhhh—"

Izuku wasn't given anymore time to think about later, being constantly brought into more stuff by the two girls, but that was a good thing. He quickly found himself enjoying the way the class was going so far.

_I can feel myself growing better at this,_ he had thought while fixing up the device he had broken. _Maybe Mei is rubbing off on me more than I thought._

When lunch came, Izuku, Mei, and Shiro headed to the lunchroom, though Izuku practically had to drag Mei there due to her unwillingness to stop working.

The Cook Hero Lunch Rush ran the cafeteria, and went around to greet all of the new students, much to Izuku's glee. The food was insanely good, just as amazing as Izuku had imagined it would be when he saw the Hero on TV.

Mei let out a loud exaggerated sigh as she slammed her empty bowl onto the table.

"Thanks for the meal! Now here I go—"

The girl turned and left before Izuku could say anything. He got a bit nervous as he looked over, seeing Shiro giving him an odd look that he didn't quite understand now that they were alone.

Luckily, or unluckily, he was saved when a new figure sat down in front of them. Izuku looked up to see it was Yuki.

"We need to discuss the challenge," he spoke firmly.

"R-Right…" Izuku watched him intensely. "What do you have in mind?"

"How about something casual, simple games of skill," Yuki suggested.

"Games of skill…?" Izuku thought.

Yuki smirked slightly, but hid it quickly so Izuku wouldn't notice. "That's right, things like darts, pool— Maybe a best of 5 of different ones?"

"That sounds fun— Er, I guess it's not for fun," Izuku caught himself, shaking his head. "D-Did I do something wrong?"

Yuki shrugged and stood with his food tray. "If you don't see your own incompetence, then this challenge will do you nicely. But glad we decided on something. See you then."

He walked away, leaving Izuku and Shiro there.

"Why won't he talk to me too," Shiro muttered.

Izuku found himself smiling a bit now, surprising himself.

_A challenge then… You're on, Yuki!_

He clenched his fists tightly as he felt a spark inside of himself, ready to show what he's got in front of the class, no matter the challenge.

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Challenge: Yuki vs. Izuku**


	9. Challenge: Yuki vs Izuku

_**A/N: A lot of content here and for the next couple of chapters is my rendition of what's happening in 1-H in place of 1-A's Hero training. Having lots of fun writing it all! Drop a Review if you would to support the story!**_

**Chapter Nine: Challenge: Yuki vs Izuku**

After Lunch had ended, everyone in class eagerly awaited the "duel", as they had taken to calling it, between Izuku and Yuki.

When the two had arrived, Power Loader approached them.

"Well, have you decided on what you'll be doing?"

The two boys exchanged a glance, before Yuki spoke up. "Yes, we've decided on a best out of 5, each round a different game."

Izuku looked to their teacher. "Power Loader-sensei, is there any sort of game room or anything like that in the school?"

"Mr. Maijima would do… But yes, actually, I had a class a few years ago full of slackers who just wanted to create fun things," Power Loader said. He motioned for them to follow, approaching one of the many closet doors of the workshop.

Upon opening it, everyone was in awe as they peered inside.

"Are those actual game cabinets? Like from back in the day," one student asked, noticing old arcade cabinets.

Another pointed inside. "Is that an entire bowling set? And a collapsible lane?"

Power Loader sighed and scratched his cheek at all the comments. "Yeah, like I said, they weren't the greatest bunch, not at first anyways. If you're going for something like this, then you should choose what you need and we'll take this to the Gymnasium."

Izuku and Yuki nodded and began to scavenge through the numerous things within the closet.

_There's everything in here! But I don't know what to do… _Izuku contemplated as he noticed a couple of things that caught his eye. _I don't know what his Quirk is, but I can win at these!_

Izuku handed off some things to Mei and Shiro, the latter of which grumbled about being forced to carry things. Yuki as well had chosen many things, getting help from the other students as they headed off for the Gymnasium across the building.

As they were leaving with all of the game equipment, Class 1-F was approaching to use the workshop, confused by the sight of 1-H.

"Ehh, did we get the wrong class? Looks like they're having more fun," one of the 1-F students commented.

"Get a move on!" The stern voice of the 1-F teacher made them move along.

* * *

The Gymnasium was set up and ready for the challenge, and spirits were high now with everyone taking it a lot easier than in the beginning.

"Don't get too used to this," Power Loader had warned them. "You'll be working your hands to the bone from tomorrow onwards.

Everyone had expected that already, so taking today to ease into things helped them a lot. Well, except for Yuki and Izuku, who were staring each other down.

"So, this is what we're going with then huh? Interesting," Power Loader said as he looked around at the setup.

"I chose Table Tennis and Chess," Izuku stated.

"I've got Pool, Jenga, and Darts," Yuki said simply.

"Then we'll start with Pool, and alternate your games. First to 3 wins is the winner then," their teacher said with a nod. "You guys better go all out."

"That's a super specific game list," a boy with the prickly beginnings of a beard commented.

Izuku looked over to Yuki who was preparing with a pool stick. He put a hand to his chin and thought about it all.

_All three of the games he chose must have something in common… I chose my two because I've played them alot,_ Izuku looked up in thought. _Something about precision? Maybe he's just confident in his ability, or..._

"As a handicap, you can use whatever devices you want to try and beat me," Yuki told him as he placed the cue ball into position.

"N-No way, I can do it myself!" Izuku patted his chest for emphasis.

Yuki smirked. "I wouldn't be so sure about that."

The tall blonde surveyed the table, all of the balls having been racked up and ready to go. After a moment, he took position, readying the pool cue between his thumb and pointed finger—

When Yuki hit the cue ball, there was a spin to it. They watched in anticipation as the ball swirled around the front 1 ball and slammed into the 9 ball behind it, scattering the balls in all directions. Izuku gulped as he watched the 12, 11, and 15 striped balls go into three different pockets, the rest settling in a seemingly random order while the cue ball remained close to the right side from Yuki.

"Looks like I'm stripes, who would've known," Yuki said with a shrug.

"That's the best opening break ever! Is this some kind of quirk advantage?" The boy who was getting really hype was the one Izuku remembered Paper Mache threatening during the exam.

When Izuku looked back to the table, he could only watch in horror as Yuki continue his shots— No, his _perfect_ shots, slamming ball after ball into the pockets, calling each and every one.

"Back right," he called as he banked the cue ball in a particular way to knock one of Izuku's into his own, pocketing it.

Now, before Izuku even had a chance to really take it all in, Yuki was facing down the 8-ball, ready to close out the game. However, it was settled in between many of the solid balls, making it seemingly impossible to angle it in.

"Back left," Yuki said simply.

_From what I know, you aren't allowed hit any of your opponents balls first… There's at least a chance for me to get a turn!_ Izuku thought.

He was wrong. Yuki took a shot, the cue ball having a spin on it again. As it weaved between two balls, it hit the wall and was knocked up and over another one, before hitting the 8 ball right in, the cue ball stopping before the pocket.

Izuku was left frozen, as the other students wowed at Yuki's skill.

"Could it be… Yuki's a pool shark?" The red-haired girl named Urushima Taro wondered aloud.

Mei, who had been mostly silent the whole time, brought Izuku in close and whispered to him.

"_It's his quirk! It totally lets him aim perfectly or something,"_ she told him. "_I zoomed in on his shots and there were precise movements on almost the molecular level!_"

"What!" Izuku's exclamation made everyone look at him, so he quieted down to a whisper. "_So he led me into this to make me look bad?"_

"_Looks like it! So we'll have to fight back!_"

Mei cleared her throat loudly, then slapped Izuku on the back hard, letting out an obnoxious laugh.

"Beginner's luck? Yeah I think so too, Midoriya! Hahaha!"

Everyone looked at the two, a bit confused. Yuki sighed and pointed to Izuku.

"Your choice now, loser," Yuki spoke with a small hint of a smirk.

Izuku took a deep breath and pointed nearby to the table tennis table. _ If his quirk lets him do things precisely, then I just have to overpower him with my own abilities and win!_

Izuku slipped on his Flow gloves and powered the device on, connecting the tubes from it to his gloves. Yuki watched intently as Izuku prepared. He usually only utilized his Flow with his boots, for movement and attacks, but now he needed to use his entire kit more than ever.

"He's gonna use that air thing we saw before," Shiro said excitedly as she watched, before turning to Yuki. "You can do it! Beat his ass!"

_Whose side are you on?!_ Izuku sighed.

They both took their positions, paddles in hand. Izuku went to serve, tossing the ball up and letting it fall a bit before bringing the paddle in to swing—

However, when the ball bounced back up, Izuku actually released his right middle finger, the Flow sending a shot of air through his right glove that hit the ball right before his paddle did. The ping pong ball went flying at a blinding speed, bouncing on Izuku's side then Yuki's side before going right past him. Yuki blinked, surprised. Izuku followed through on the paddle motion however, making it look like he had just hit it.

"That's a point for Midoriya!" Mei, who had taken it upon herself to judge the match, held up a finger and smiled.

Yuki shook his head. Nobody else aside from the ones who knew about Izuku's Flow had noticed what had happened, but he had seen it. His quirk didn't heighten his reaction speed, however, so it had always been his weakness going into this.

"I'm glad you're here to play," Yuki spoke, grabbing another ball and tossing it to Izuku, who caught it. "I've actually mastered most games like this, so that would legally be a "Hidden Ball" maneuver that costs you a point. But I'll let it slide."

Someone in the crowd snickered, and Yuki looked over to see a boy with jet black hair mocking him.

_He saw what I did but didn't care? That's fine! His cocky attitude will be his loss! _"Well here it comes then!"

Izuku did the same thing with his next serve, except this time he hit the ball slightly when he sent out the charge of Flow air. This sent the ball spinning at an angle as it hit both their sides, cutting the corner of the table quickly.

However, Yuki had managed to move into position to strike it with one fluid movement, surprising Izuku. Yuki struck the ball— However, he wasn't aiming to hit it back, instead the ball flew over and struck the boy who was chuckling right in the head, with enough force for the usually light ball to crack in half, the boy falling over.

"Shut up already," Yuki said angrily.

_He was able to react already? This is gonna be tough…_

Izuku took a deep breath as he watched Yuki take out another ping pong ball, ready for his turn to serve.

* * *

_**~Mid- Chapter Break~**_

**Name: Adatari Yuki**

**Age: 15**

**Quirk: Perfect Eyes - Allows him to have perfect execution and aim with anything in his vision(Ex: Hit a bullseye every time, maneuver through moving obstacles perfectly, copy someone's movements. Only limited by his physical capabilities.) **

**Personality: Serious, dislikes slackers, superiority complex.**

**Power: 2/5 D - Speed 4/5 B - Technique 5/5 B- Intelligence 3/5 C - Cooperativeness 2/5 D**

* * *

Izuku sliced his paddle through the air, hitting the ball while hopping forward on one foot. It flew across the table, skipping across each side before passing Yuki by.

"That's the final point for Izuku!" Mei grinned and gave Izuku a thumbs up. "Good job!"

Izuku and Yuki both took a breather, worn out from how intensely they had taken the game. Yuki had managed to stay in a one point deficit the entire time, but Izuku's determination and constant changes in his patterns managed to get him the win.

_I could only win thanks to my serves, anytime Yuki touched the ball it was over for me! _

"That was more intense than the table tennis matches on TV!"

"Those two looked like Heroes in action or something…"

Smiling at the words of the other students, Izuku stood up and took a breath, looking over at Yuki.

"That device of yours is terribly inefficient," Yuki commented. "Having to activate it in such a way only makes it a hassle." He squeezed his finger to show what he was saying, then shook his head. "Anyways, we'll move on to the next game then."

Next, Yuki had Jenga in store, a game that seemed simple to everyone, but was very intense and would require a lot of care and precision, something Yuki obviously had an advantage in with his well-suited quirk.

"Go on," he had told Izuku after it was set up.

Izuku gulped. Mei came up from behind him and slipped her goggles onto his head, making him flail a bit in surprise.

"W-What the—"

"Calm down! These goggles I use enhance my Quirk and help me zoom in more," Mei explained. "Use it so you can do as good as possible!"

Izuku was a bit uncomfortable with the unfamiliar goggles, but decided to go with it. He leaned down and examined the stack, before picking a piece near the bottom and carefully pushing it out, until it fell out onto the table. He let out a sigh of relief.

"Interesting, it's like you wanted to lose," Yuki commented.

"What do you mean?" Izuku eyed him, confused.

Yuki motioned for him to step back and leaned into the stack of pieces. Izuku had taken out the center piece near the bottom of the stack. On the layer above, Yuki quickly reached and snatched a piece out in a fluid movement. The stack fell one level on one side, trembling a bit before staying still. Everyone got a closer look, amazed.

_N-No way! This is—_

Now the stack was at a slight slant due to the movement caused when the middle piece above the one Izuku had taken fell into place, causing the rest to fall down after it perfectly, shifting the entire tower to no longer being straight.

Izuku walked around the table, examining it, zooming in and trying to see a way, but it seemed impossible unless he was _perfect_ with his movement.

He sighed and took the plunge, trying to push the middle piece from the middle of the stack—

But it quickly fell over and collapsed into pieces all over the table.

"Ooooh a heartbreaking loss," Mei commentated.

"Whose side are you on?!" Izuku groaned and moved the goggles up and off of his eyes, wiping some sweat from his brow. "Alright! Next game!"

Yuki smirked at this, nodding. "Yep, next game."

* * *

Chess proved to be something Yuki couldn't handle. Izuku had practiced lots as a kid, but without many friends over the years, his skills had diminished a bit. Still, he was able to outwit Yuki with ease, and finally—

"Checkmate!"

Their classmates cheered, and Izuku sat back in his chair, arms crossed and a confident look on his face.

"I'm impressed, for sure," Yuki said with a nod. But then a mischievous smile arose onto his face, one that looked unsettling on his usual serious demeanor. "But now it's time for the finale— What was it again?"

Izuku gulped. He had completely forgotten that the next game was—

"Darts! Ehh, Power Loader sensei, I wanna play too," a darker-skinned girl named Hirara Wakata in their class spoke up as Yuki and Izuku approached the setup.

"This isn't for games," Power Loader said. "This is a challenge remember? This is worth some actual cred when it comes to your class ranking."

Nearby, Shiro was watching as Mei gave Izuku some pointers, so she slid over to Yuki, her eyes full of hearts as she looked up at him.

"So Yuki! Should I cheer for you to help you out?"

"No, you should shut up and go away," Yuki said coldly.

Shiro somehow didn't take it badly, still beaming. "Okay! I'll just cheer farther away!"

Yuki sighed as the short girl moved a ways away, cheering and chanting his name. He looked up towards Izuku and Mei, watching as the girl was giving him some sort of intense speech and moving her arms around to show him something. Izuku just nodded, obviously a bit lost but trying to take it all in.

_That girl has so much potential, but this guy… _

Yuki recalled back in the Entrance Exams, he had been around when the entire scuffle between Izuku and Paper Mache transpired. Something had seemed off, so he got close and listened in, making sure to stay out of sight of any of the paper.

"_Being quirkless is quite the disadvantage. You can't become a Hero so you think you can sneak in another way huh?"_

Yuki's eyes had widened at hearing that from Paper Mache inside. He covered his mouth as he contemplated that.

_This Quirkless guy thinks he can become a Hero? He's going to compromise the integrity of the entire Support system then!_

The boy had left the scene quickly, just before Paper Mache had been knocked clean through the wall by Izuku.

Now, Yuki didn't understand it still. _Anyone lacking the potential and drive to be a Support student shouldn't be here!_

He gripped the darts in his hand tightly and stepped up, throwing them all in rapid succession. Each one hit the Triple 20, giving him 180 total points. Yuki retrieved them and walked back.

"Let's get this over with," he muttered.

Izuki stepped up and looked down at the darts in his hand. _Yuki has this all set up for him to win… By going first he's guaranteed it. I need to get to the root of the problem them..._

He looked over at the boy, who seemed incredibly down, sitting and looking down at the ground with a blank expression. The other students were all talking cheerfully, not appearing to notice.

"Yuki… I think there's something you should know," Izuku started as he prepared to throw his darts. "I guess everyone should know."

Yuki looked up slightly, watching intensely as Izuku threw his darts slowly, one at a time, his aim completely off and hitting randomly.

"I-I don't have a Quirk," Izuku said. The talking around them stopped, as everyone seemed surprised by this. "I wasn't destined to be anything but a good and loyal student, that's all."

Power Loader, who had started to lose interest in the competition, looked up in surprise at the scene, as Izuku's third dart pitifully slammed into the black part of the board, giving him an irredeemably low score for his first round.

Izuku clenched a fist and looked down at it in front of himself. "All I ever wanted was to become a Hero like All Might, ever since I was little. I still dream of that day coming…"

Yuki shot up angrily, approaching Izuku. "So you are just here to try to earn a spot with the Heroes, huh?"

Standing his ground, Izuku turned to Yuki. The boy stopped, surprised at the expression on Izuku's face. It wasn't one of anger or sadness or guilt, it was the face of someone who was happy beyond measure, someone who had been lacking that happiness and it had now been filled all at once.

"I've enjoyed making things with Mei… I enjoyed the Entrance Exam, and I know I can't stop inventing to get to my goal!" Izuku shook his head. "I'd never leave the Support part of me behind, because this is the most important part of my story!"

"Your… story?"

Izuku nodded and smiled confidently up at Yuki. "I'm going to become the #1 Hero without needing a Quirk, and this is the beginning of my story! So I'll do my best Support work until then! And then further beyond!"

Izuku raised a fist into the air. "Plus Ultra!"

Mei and Shiro raised their fists into the air as well, shouting, "Plus Ultra!"

The other students had been wary, learning such a huge bombshell that one of their classmates had made it in quirkless was a lot. For most of them, they were raised to believe people without Quirks were generally below them in status from the get-go, that they couldn't achieve nearly as much.

Yet now, they all raised their fists into the air as well, feeling the positive atmosphere surrounding them as they all shouted:

"Plus Ultra!"

Power Loader had been ready to intervene if Yuki and Izuku has gotten into a fight, but he sat back and relaxed, a small smile on his face as any trace of the negativity from earlier had subsided from everyone—

Even Yuki.

The boy turned threw his darts all at once, making a triangle shape on the board, all of them hitting the 0 markers.

"Darn, guess my aim's really off today. Maybe we should call it a draw?"

Izuku looked over at the board, then at Yuki and smiled. "Yeah… That sounds fair. Maybe you can give me tips on improving my Flow?" He motioned back to the device on his back.

"Hmph, I can take a look."

And with that, Class 1-H had managed to come together and out of their shells on their first day.

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: A Team Competition!**


	10. Databook: Class 1-H (Extra)

**Databook: Class 1-H**

**About: This is the official info dump for all of the 1-H students! It's bound to be updated sometimes, so don't expect this to be final.**

**This will go in order of seating, zig-zagging from the seat nearest to the classroom door, like this;**

**(Front)**

**3-2-1 **

**4-5-6**

**9-8-7**

**10-11-12**

**15-14-13**

**(Back)**

**Got it? Dope.**

* * *

**#1 - Sunada Kichi**

**#2 - Yamanishi "Taka" Kiyotaka**

**#3 - Koyama Shuzo**

**#4 - Adatari Yuki**

**#5 - Soga Ninsei**

**#6 - Urushima Taro**

**#7 - Hatsume Mei**

**#8 - Izuku Midoriya**

**#9 - Minami Shiro**

**#10 - Sakura Sae**

**#11 - Hirari Wakata**

**#12 - Sasaki "Risa" Risako**

**#13 - Tokoi Konoda**

**#14 - Miiko Ishimoto**

**#15 - Ryuken "Ken" Takana**

—

**Student Bios**

**#1 - Sunada Kichi**

**Age: 14**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Computers and Electronics

**Appearance: **Tall, thin, narrow faced, long messy silver hair, baggy eyes, usually has a constant small grin**.**

**Personality: **Giggly, sleepy, considered to possibly be a bit crazy

**Quirk: Metal Touch - **She can touch something metal, absorb it, and transfer its composition to another object. (Ex: Absorbing a metal rod and then transferring that to her wooden desk to turn it into a metal one**.)**

"My name's Sunada Kichi, it's uh… Nice to meet you guys I guess. Heh…"

"What? Why am I always grinning? You say it looks villainous? Pfft, that's pretty funny, you know that reminds me of a…. zzzzzzz…."

* * *

**#2 - Yamanishi "Taka" Kiyotaka**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **Robotics and Computers

**Appearance: **Shorter and a bit on the pudgier side, wears round glasses and has neatly parted black hair**. **

**Personality: **Self-certified genius, kind, corrects others just so they aren't ignorant, likes Heros a little *too* much**.**

**Quirk: Database - **He can recall vividly anything he's ever seen or heard and play through it like a simulation in his head**. **

"Well, actually, did you know that an EMP wouldn't work like that, Midoriya? If anything you would've just blown yourself up from the intense electrical charge."

"That being said, your Flow also seems to work only as you want it to. It doesn't make enough sense! Let me recall real quick—"

* * *

**#3 - Koyama Shuzo**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **Programming and Robotics

**Appearance:** Average height, short brown hair pulled back into a bun, prickly start of a beard, looks older than he is**. **

**Personality: **Very laid back, loves hanging out, often seems like a slacker but is actually a hard worker.

**Quirk: **Frequency Shout - Allows him to shout out loudly at different frequencies. Useful for disrupting signals or sensitive hearing.

"What— I'm not in my twenties! I'm literally the same age as you guys! So what if I don't shave my face? You're just jealous that I'm already a man!"

"Shiro right? You seem pretty cool, maybe we should hang out some time— Wait, bad touch! Back it up—"

* * *

**#4 - Adatari Yuki**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **Combat Enhancements

**Appearance: **Tall, broad-shouldered, fairly muscular, blonde short blonde hair, usually a serious or stoic expression.

**Personality: **Wishes for everyone around him to be as good as himself so he won't be dragged down, competitive, hates obnoxious people, reliable.

**Quirk:** Perfect Eyes - His eyes have dual-irises in each, allowing him to have perfect hand-eye coordination, and letting him throw, move, and catch with perfect accuracy.

"If you're not here to excel, then you're worthless to me and everyone else around you."

"I am most definitely _not _a 'broody teenager', just shut up already!"

* * *

**#5 - Soga Ninsei**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **Costume Design

**Appearance:** Scrawny, average height, has longish jet black hair that goes back into a spiky formation at his shoulders. Very narrow eyes and sharp teeth.

**Personality: **Rich kid syndrome, Often laughs at others, Complains when he doesn't get his way.

**Quirk: **Ghost Limbs - Can detach his arms and legs to use them from afar. If they get too far from him, they will be out of his control and will find their own way back to him

**Note: **After being scared by Power Loader in the Entrance Exam and hit by the ping pong ball sent by Yuki, he has been a little bitter about the class.

"You know, my family comes from the top of the top! They're all expecting amazing things from me— And who could blame em?"

"Power Loader? He's a cool teacher I guess, but he doesn't even wear a shirt most of the time. I mean, get real man! And that Yuki guy— He's just a nerd in disguise! Haha— No, I'm not still mad!"

**Extra Note: **Ninsei is actually still mad about it.

* * *

**#6 - Urushima Taro**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Combat Enhancements

**Appearance: **Average height pale-skinned girl with curly red hair parted to the right side of her face. Has piercing emerald eyes that are always half closed as if perpetually tired.

**Personality**: A bit timid in unfamiliar situations, but likes to hang out with lots of people, good at sports and often praised as a 'timid beauty' at her old school, addicted to cold treats.

**Quirk: **Blazing Spirit - She can focus on one task and use all of her energy to maximize her performance, going up to 800% faster. Though this wears her out and also leaves her head literally smoking as her hair turns a fiery orange.

"Um, well… I'm glad that everyone seems a bit happier now. Maybe we can all go out for ice cream sometime?"

"I-I'm not obsessed with cold treats… It just helps cool me off after I work too hard…"

* * *

**#7 - Hatsume Mei**

**Age: 15 (almost 16)**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Quirk Enhancements and Combat Enhancements

**Appearance: **This is Mei, how would you not know?

**Personality:** Excitable, rash, happy, always trying to perfect her "babies."

**Quirk: **Zoom - Allows Mei to zoom in with her eyes to see up to 5 Kilometers away with perfect clarity.

"Hey! I'm totally not getting enough spotlight in this story, but at least it's more than Uraraka in the canon— Am I right?"

* * *

**#8 - Izuku Midoriya**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **Aerodynamics and Electronics

**Appearance: **No, for real, do you know what this series is about or who the main character is?

**Personality: **A bit timid but can be reckless, always thinking of others, wishes to become a great Hero.

**Quirk: **_None_

* * *

**#9 - Minami Shiro**

**Age: 14(almost 15)**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Electronics and Combat Enhancements

**Appearance: **Very short(almost as short as Mineta of 1-A), thin, has blonde hair pulled back into a ponytail, pink eyes.

**Personality:** Loves tall boys(though most are taller than her), doesn't take risks usually, a bit hyperactive.

**Quirk: **X-Ray Touch - By touching a solid surface, she can sense and see objects and people through it. (EX: She can touch a device and see how it functions, or touch a wall and see the people on the other side as a sort of hazy aura.)

"This class isn't as cool as the Hero courses… I saw way more tall boys in there than here!"

"I guess I'll have to settle for my Izuku-kun, isn't that right?— Hey! Where are you going? Come back!"

* * *

**#10 - Sakura Sae**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Glassworking and Forging

**Appearance: **A slightly taller girl, long and neat black hair, gentle features, almost always a small smile, gray eyes.

**Personality: **Very kind and motherly, a bit of a clutz, can't stop herself from helping others or worrying about them.

**Quirk: **Glass Voice - While singing, she is able to create and blow glass from her hand, changing its shape with her voice and by focusing on something in her mind.

"I'm so glad everyone's getting along now. If anyone ever needs anything, please make sure to come ask me~"

"My actual speciality was cooking, but I realized that I had created so many devices to make my cooking easier, since I often ruined it otherwise, that maybe I was in the wrong field…"

* * *

**#11 - Hirari Wakata**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Training Equipment and Combat Enhancements

**Appearance: **Tall, athletic build, dark-tan skin, short ruffled brown hair, amber eyes.

**Personality:** A sports nut, very loud and energetic, often practicing or doing physical training.

**Quirk: **Excel Bolt - By doing physical exercise, she can charge herself with an intense electrical current and utilize it in different ways.

"Sports Captain Hirari Wakata reporting for duty! Yep, I'll be in charge of the school's Sports activities whether they acknowledge it or not! Hahaha!"

"Come on everyone, keep up! You can't do anything at the Sports Festival if you slack off like that!"

* * *

**#12 - Sasaki "Risa" Risako**

**Age: 16**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Metalworking and Quirk Enhancements

**Appearance: **Longish black hair that's braided on the sides, strong jawline and narrow eyes, usually looks angry, usually wears her tie loose, large sharp teeth.

**Personality: **Rebellious, angered easily, has a girly side on the inside that she hides.

**Quirk: Power Jaw - **Her teeth and jaw are strong enough to bite through steel and even stronger things, but it often leaves her with pain so she tries to avoid it as much as she can.

"The hell do you want? I don't care what any of you guys are on about— I'm here to get a good career goin' unlike my useless parents."

"They said I was too moody to become a Hero, so here am. Something funny about that?"

* * *

**#13 - Tokoi Konoda**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **Metalworking and Forging

**Appearance: **His Quirk has given his head a shape reminiscent of a large hammer tool. Has longish black hair that forks back, reminiscent of the back of a hammer. A very stern expression usually.

**Personality: **Very blunt, but can be sharp in a pinch. Usually has a handle on things. Is easily embarrassed by praise because of his early childhood bullying.

**Quirk: Hammerhead - **A mutation-type quirk. His head is solid enough to be used as a tool for hours upon hours before he starts to feel a little pain.

"To put it simply, I don't think being Quirkless is as much of a disadvantage in the Support course— But it's idiotic to think it won't leave you in the dust eventually."

"A-Ah, thank you for the praise… I'm not blushing! I just… Used my head a bit too much is all."

* * *

**#14 - Miiko Ishimoto**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Female**

**Support Speciality: **Costume Design and Robotics

**Appearance: **A girl with a traditional Japanese appearance, with black hair usually in a neat bun, slanted black eyes, fair skin, thin and a bit on the shorter side.

**Personality: **Overall very happy, usually quiet but not afraid to speak her mind, very into theatrical arts.

**Quirk: **Invisible Thread - Can touch an object to make it a "tether," and at any point she can make herself fly towards that object as if attracted to it. Can also connect two or more objects together and have them do the same thing.

"It's very nice to meet you all, I hope we can get along, even if we're supposed to compete~"

"At my old school, I was always the lead in our plays… But I often got in trouble for going too far with the costume design…"

* * *

**#15 - Ryuken "Ken" Takana**

**Age: 15**

**Gender: Male**

**Support Speciality: **

**Appearance: **Messy black hair with gray streaks, usually a bored expression, gray eyes, thin build.

**Personality: **Often daydreaming, seems bored a lot, can start talking loudly and too much when he gets hyped up about something.

**Quirk: **(To Be Revealed in the Story)

"Can you guys keep it down? I had a cool idea and I lost it…"

"I can't just make anything I want with my Quirk ya know, don't act like I'm a swiss army knife or something."


	11. A Team Competition?

**Chapter Ten: A Team Competition!**

The next couple of days, the first year students of U.A High were adjusting to their new schedules.

In the morning, 1-H had their core classes, which rotated daily— Mathematics with the Clone Hero Ectoplasm, English with the Voice Hero Present Mic, Modern Literature with Cement Hero Cementoss, and Health with Cook Hero Lunch Rush were a few of them.

"Alright everyone! _Let's hear those cheers for Dr. Frankenstein!_"

Present Mic held a hand to his ear, waiting with excitement, but nobody in Class 1-H budged, silence following his loud words.

"Come on! It's an exciting classic! Don't be afraid to get loud!"

Izuku chuckled softly. At first, seeing the Heroes up close that he had admired was too much of a shock, but now he at least got to see more of a normal side to them, well, as normal as they could get.

The fourth day of school had come to lunchtime. Izuku was approaching a table where Mei was fiddling with a device, when someone pushed past him aggressively, making him nearly drop his tray.

"Outta my way!" The familiar angry voice made Izuku tense up.

It was Bakugo who had pushed past him, not sparing him a glance. Another boy moved past, much more polite as he excused himself as he passed Izuku up. He was tall with neat black hair and glasses. Izuku took note of the metal pieces protruding from the back of the boy's legs, like exhaust pipes of an engine.

"Bakugo, we should discuss how our teamwork faired in the Heroes vs. Villains test," the boy exclaimed as he followed Bakugo.

"Get away from me you four-eyed nerd!"

Izuku watched them go, realizing he was holding his breath and letting it out. _Kacchan didn't seem to notice me…_

He had been worried about the first encounter, knowing he wouldn't be able to keep it a secret forever. There was a certain time and place he wanted it to come out, however, so he was aiming for then:

The U.A Sports Festival.

As Izuku sat beside Mei, she didn't seem to pay him much mind as she focused on her work. Izuku looked down at his tray, lost in thought.

_Every year the Sports Festival has eyes from all over the country watching and judging… That'll be my best place to shine,_ Izuku thought.

"-once at the Sports Festival, I'll be able to finally confront Kacchan and use my skills and the babies I've created to prove myself to him and everyone else. I'm the only quirkless student at this school apparently, so I have to make sure that nobody thinks to look down on me—"

A tray was dropped onto the table, making Izuku panic and stop muttering his thoughts out loud. He looked over to see it was Yuki.

"You get lost in thought too much, you know," the boy pointed out.

"S-Sorry," Izuku said with a nervous chuckle.

Across from him, Mei finally looked up from the device she was fiddling with, blinking at them.

"Oh, Midoriya, you finally made it," the girl said.

"I-I've been here for a while now… You know you haven't touched your food, right?"

Mei looked down at the tray in front of herself and then looked away, pouting a bit.

"I'll do what I want," she mumbles.

Yuki watched the two bicker, before he noticed Shiro sitting down with them. She smirked to Yuki and thumbed to Mei and Izuku.

"They're already like an old married couple huh?"

Izuku coughed at this, nearly choking on his food while Mei didn't seem to hear the comment.

* * *

That afternoon, Power Loader had them meet up in the large workshop they had taken part of their Entrance Exam in.

"The third year Support students utilize this workshop mostly, so take a gander and realize what you can hope to create in the future."

Power Loader activated a console, and the empty-looking workshop began to change. The walls began to flip around, and various panels moved up from the ground and out from the walls, revealing a plethora of devices.

Class 1-H looked in awe all around them. There were things on a scale they had never seen before. The workshop was as big as a military aircraft hangar, allowing for huge creations to be made there.

Behind Power Loader were large robots, the size of multiple-story buildings. Their hulking designs were sleek and emanated a sort of powerful aura to them.

"These robots were used in the Hero entrance exam," their teacher explained. "U.A's Support department is unmatched in the entire world, so this is the minimum we expect from our students by their third year."

_T-These are… _Izuku gulped. The robots seemed like an impossible size, something he could only see in a fictional movie before attending the prestigious U.A. Now it was something nonchalantly being shown as the goals for their curriculum.

"Today we'll be attempting something like this on a smaller scale," Power Loader said. "I want you all to see the gap in your abilities now, so you have something to strive for."

A hand shot up. Power Loader pointed at them.

"Sensei! I wanna—"

"No, Wakata, we won't be having any game challenges today," Power Loader interrupted the girl.

Hirari Wakata huffed, looking away. The darker-skinned girl had been trying hard to force any sort of physical competition into the Support class ever since Yuki and Izuku's challenge, but Power Loader continued to deny it, knowing her intentions weren't for a legitimate challenge.

"Now I'll be putting you in teams of two— Except one team will have three due to the odd number of students—-"

"Team #1 - Hatsume Mei and Minami Shiro!"

The two girls looked to each other and gave a thumbs up. Izuku was surprised to see that Shiro wasn't as cold-shouldered to Mei now, though he knew Shiro had been inspired by Mei's reckless creations.

"Team #2 - Soga Ninsei and Adatari Yuki!"

Yuki and Ninsei looked to each other, a tension between them. Ninsei had been reprimanded by Paper Mache during the entrance exam, and embarrassed by Yuki a few days prior in the ping pong incident— He wanted _nothing _to do with him.

"Team #3 - Urushima Taro and Sakura Sae!"

The very motherly girl named Sae smiled gently at the red-haired Taro, who blushed slightly and waved nervously over at her, smoke rising from her hair a bit.

"Team #4 - Izuku Midoriya and Ryuken Takana!"

Izuku looked over to the boy who had always sat at the back of the class, often seeming like he was daydreaming or uninterested. He had black hair with gray streaks in it, his gray eyes slouching and looking tired most of the time.

"Ken will do," the boy said with a yawn. "I don't know how many times I gotta say that."

_He seems like he slacks off, but he made it into U.A so he must have amazing aspects!_ Izuku thought.

"Team #5 - Sunada Kichi and Hirari Wakata!"

Wakata looked to the tall, thin girl and gave her a thumbs up and a smirk. Kichi, a girl who always looked worn out and pale, snickered a bit at her very hyper partner, knowing the fit would be very interesting.

"Team #6 - Sasaki Risako and Tokoi Konoda!"

The boy named Konoda who stood out the most in the class, due to his mutation-type Quirk making his head take the shape of a hammer tool, looked over to his chosen partner, Sasaki Risako. They both looked away from each other quickly with a huff, not impressed at all.

"And Team #7 - Yamanishi Kiyotaka, Koyama Shuzo, and Miiko Ishimoto!"

This was the most excited group of them all. Kiyotaka, a very short and chubby boy, was already excitedly spouting ideas to Shuzo, a guy who looked like he was in his twenties. Their other partner Ishimoto, stood by politely and smiled and nodded when they acknowledged her, giggling occasionally at their antics.

Everyone had moved to their partner now, so Izuku did the same, approaching Ken with a friendly smile.

"Yeah yeah, Midoriya, the quirkless guy," Ken said, with a dismissive wave. "I'm sure I'll do all the work for us like I usually end up doing."

"W-What do you mean? I'll definitely be helping," Izuku retorted.

Ken shrugged and yawned. "You'll just end up relying on my Quirk like everyone else."

Before Izuku could ask what he meant, Power Loader got their attention back on him.

"The goal is to create functioning robots smaller than a person, to try and replicate the larger ones I showed before," Power Loader explained. "At the end of the day, we will see which of them stands at the top!"

"Nice! So we'll get to crush the other people's robot huh," the girl named Risako spoke up with a grin, cracking her knuckles. She was a very intimidating looking girl with a large jaw and sharp teeth visible as she smiled.

"Precisely. Some of these robots were heavily damaged during the Hero entrance exam," their teacher pointed out. "U.A is always in need of these sorts of things for training and security! So show everyone what you've got!"

Izuku noticed that one of the large robots was missing an arm, its metal plating and now-exposed wires seemingly burnt off. He clenched his fists tightly.

_That could've been from Kacchan… So this is what they faced during their exam? Then this should be the bare minimum I have to handle if I want to become a Hero student!_

Ken was watching Izuku with slight interest. Now that everyone knew he was quirkless, nothing had seemed to change, with everyone respecting each other on an equal level. Ken also didn't believe in being an elitist about Quirks and those who lacked one, but from experience, he knew how cruel the world could be to the rare few without a Quirk.

_Midoriya… I hope you don't think your lack of a Quirk is a curse, because I definitely wish I didn't have this Quirk of mine,_ Ken thought.

As the groups were separated and went to different parts of the workshop, they began to truly grasp just how much was at their disposal at U.A.

"I've never seen so much stuff! So much potential for babies! I'll never stop creating," Mei exclaimed excitedly, her voice carrying through the entire complex as she began to ravage the parts in one of the closets.

"Energetic as always," Izuku said with a smile. The class always looked so dreary in comparison to Mei's constant excited nature.

"Midoriya," came Ken's voice. He turned to the boy, who lifted his arm. "Time to show you my Quirk."

"Your Quirk?" Izuku watched, a bit surprised at Ken's suddenness.

Ken took a deep breath, and after a second, something bulged and popped out of his skin at his elbow.

"A-A screwdriver?" Izuku got a bit closer, but suddenly something came out of Ken's forearm— A hammer. "Y-You can create tools, or…?"

"My Quirk allows me to have any object I can vividly imagine protrude from my skin," Ken explained nonchalantly. "And I mean _vividly_— I have to feel, taste, and look at an object for hours to days to truly be able to create it."

_T-Taste?!_

The tools slipped back into Ken's arm, vanishing. He held up his other hand, opening it and making a pencil appear. He began to spin it in his fingers.

"The object can never leave my skin however, it's impossible," Ken continued. "So I'm useless for creating anything big."

"I see… I think that's an amazing useful Quirk!"

"Tch… Yeah, you and everyone else," Ken griped, before stopping the pencil and pointing it at Izuku. "Well, now you see why I'll be doing all the hard work."

_I get it, I'm sure because of his Quirk's potential, he's been made to do a lot things for his peers,_ Izuku thought, imagining what it must've been like. _Having a great Quirk can really have its downsides I guess…_

"Actually, Ken, I have a proposal," Izuku began."

"Huh?"

Izuku smirked. "Let's try and do this without your Quirk!"

* * *

_**~Mid- Chapter Break~**_

**Name: Ryuken "Ken" Takana**

**Age: 15**

**Quirk: Protrusion Creation - Can make any object(s) he can very vividly imagine protrude from his skin, but it cannot leave his body.**

**Personality: Bored, a daydreamer, dislikes hotheaded people, can snap easily if tempted.**

**Power 1 / 5 E- Speed 2/ 5 D- Technique 5 / 5 A - Intelligence 4 / 5 B- Cooperativeness 3 / 5 C**

* * *

Halfway through the afternoon, everyone was busy creating their robots, most done with planning and executing their designs and the creation process.

"Sensei, is it always so hot in here?" The redhead Taro had asked.

"You have to get used to it in this field ya know," Power Loader commented. "But you can open the main door to help out for now."

Mei, who was nearby, hopped up and did the honors, pressing the button and allowing the large door on the side of the workshop slide open. Before she could turn back to continue working, she noticed something that caught her attention.

The school's main building was ahead through the trees. Mei zoomed in with her Quirk, getting a closer look at what she had seen.

_Bingo!_

"I'll be rightttt back," she told Shiro as she left her without letting her question it.

Izuku and Ken were working on their project when Mei suddenly jumped in.

"Midoriya!" Her shout startled the boy, as it always did, as she threw an arm around him and began to whisper. "_I saw All Might in the school building~"_

Izuku's eyes widened and he dropped the tool in his hand.

"A-All Might…?" They all knew that he was teaching at the school— After all, the press had been trying for ages to get a word with him about the news.

"_Yup! If he's wandering the school building then this might be your shot to talk to him!_"

Izuku gulped and looked over to Ken, who was hard at work welding metal plating together, the sparks reflecting off of the welding mask he was wearing/

"_But how can we get to him? Were in the middle of something,_" Izuku whispered.

Mei smirked and moved away, waving to Power Loader and shouting to him.

"Mei, what is it?" The Hero approached, a bit confused by her presence at the table.

"Midoriya brought up a super cool idea! There was something in the workshop that could _completely_ change the quality of our babies!"

Izuku looked at Mei in shock at the term she had used, then at Power Loader, who didn't seem fazed at all by the use of the word 'babies'.

"And what is that exactly?"

"Well it was, you see uh…" Mei turned away, not trying to show that she was thinking, before turning back to him with a big grin. "Those arcade machines! You said they were for scrapping right? They have parts we need!"

"The arcade machines that slacker class made years ago? I guess they're better off being utilized for something actually useful," Power Loader said in thought.

Mei nodded enthusiastically. "Yup! And they're bif and heavy! So I'll go to help him out!" She slapped Midoriya on the back hard for emphasis, making him yell out in pain.

Power Loader scratched his cheek, then shrugged. "Well, you've got fifteen minutes. Should be plenty of time to get to the workshop and get back," he told them.

"Perfect!" With that exclamation, Mei forced Izuku up and pushed him out of the workshop.

Ken, who hadn't noticed the commotion, lifted his welding mask, which then got absorbed back into his head, vanishing. He looked around, then at Power Loader.

"Uh…. Where did Midoriya go?"

* * *

Mei quickly led Izuku to the school building. Once inside, they did their best to act casual so they don't draw any ire their way.

"I saw him heading for the teacher's break room I think," Mei said as they walked. "So we'll intercept him— Here!"

They rounded the corner as she made that loud exclamation, and Izuku gasped loudly as they were now face to face with who they were looking for.

All Might was in a yellow suit that fit his large, buff figure very well. He looked down at them, his usual big smile appearing, as he gave a sort of salute to them.

"Oh! Excuse me," All Might said. He took a step to go around them, before he did a double-take. "Wait a second… I've seen you both before."

"Yup! I'm Hatsume Mei! You totally obliterated that sludge villain for us," Mei said, making an explosion gesture with her hands. "I told you I'd make it into U.A!"

All Might let out a laugh. "That you did! I'm still awaiting an amazing creation!"

Mei laughed, puffing her chest out as if paying homage to him. "Of course of course! I'll have prototypes for you by the end of the semester!"

Izuku, who had been completely quiet due to his nervousness, panicked a bit as All Might turned his attention to him.

"Sorry, and you were…?"

His mind in a daze, Izuku managed to make himself look up at the man who was his lifelong Hero, the one who was inspiring him to do everything he was doing.

"I-Izuku… Midoriya…"

That was all he could manage with a shaky voice. All Might let out another hearty laugh and patted Izuku's shoulder.

"I remember you that day as well! Glad to see you are as driven as the girl beside you," he spoke. "Anyways I—"

Blood suddenly burst from All Might's mouth, making Izuku yell in surprise. The man wiped it away with his handkerchief and laughed it off.

"J-Just a joke! Haha! But I really _really_ must be going then!"

All Might stepped around them and hurried off. Mei nudged Izuku in the side, making him look over at her.

"Isn't this your chance? Weren't you waiting for this like, your whole life?"

Izuku's eyes widened. She was right; this was everything he had ever wanted, to be able to speak to the #1 Hero and ask the one question that had plagued him since his youth.

Turning around, Izuku watched All Might leaving, every step he took seeming like he was going miles and miles away from him…

"A-All Might!"

The large man paused and looked back as Izuku spoke. The boy was now facing him completely, his legs trembling a bit but his face fully determined.

"I-I have to ask you something…" Izuku paused to gulp, taking a step forward, trying to stop the shakiness in his legs. "Can s-someone become a Hero… without a Quirk?"

Izuku had practically blurted out that last part without meaning to. He looked down at the floor, his heart pounding, sweating nervously.

"Oh, I see," All Might said after a few moments. "You must be the one I've heard of— The first student at U.A without a Quirk, after the Quirk requirement was lifted."

Izuku looked up at All Might in surprise. _H-He's heard of me?!_

"While my thoughts before might have been that you should pursue a career in police work," All Might said, lifting a finger, "I'd say coming here was a step in the right direction. But it won't be easy for you, not at all. While this school will guide you and teach you the semantics—"

"Only you can decide now if you can become a Hero."

With that, All Might nodded to them and turned, quickly heading off.

Izuku was left speechless. Finally, he had heard what he wanted all along, something not even his own Mother could tell him when he needed it most.

_I can become a Hero too… If I keep working at it!_

He smiled, clenching his fists as his shaking finally subsided.

"There ya go! You finally did it," Mei exclaimed. "But were not done yet!"

"H-Huh? We have to get back or Power Loader-sensei will—"

"No way! You saw how weird All Might was being, right? And the totally real blood! I wanna see what was up with that, don't you?!"

Izuku gulped, thinking for a moment. _All Might's the #1 Hero… He might just have a really busy schedule, and we shouldn't disturb that._

Before Izuku could object, Mei was dragging him along.

"Come on Midoriya! Let's see what's going on with him!~"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: A Hero's Secret**


	12. A Hero's Secret

_**A/N:**** Aaaand we're back! Please Read, Review, and Enjoy!**_

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: A Hero's Secret**

Mei and Izuku were peering out of the window on one of the middle floors of the U.A school building. Due to the shape and design of the building, one could peer across to the other floors with ease— Well, if they had a Quirk as useful as Mei's at least.

"The school's glass is super tinted so it's hard to see in from the outside, buttttt—" Mei had trailed off as she slid her goggles on, smirking. "With this baby and my Quirk I can totally do it!"

Izuku was on watch, looking around nervously as the girl went to work.

_This is such a bad idea,_ was all Izuku could think. However, he knew how impulsive Mei was, and how she would still do this even if he left. So, Izuku figured he'd at least help her to not get caught.

"I see him! There we go," Mei exclaimed, adjusting her goggles.

In her vision, she was able to peer right down into the teacher's lounge, where the large figure of All Might could be seen moving to a couch, sitting down.

"Mei, be quieter! What do you see?"

"Give me a second, and…" She adjusted them further to try and get a better look as she zoomed in with her Quirk— However, she let out a slight gasp suddenly, making Izuku jump a bit in surprise.

"W-What is it?"

"I dunno! There's steam everywhere suddenly, and All Might's gone!"

Izuku gulped, looking around and down each hall. "W-Was he onto us then? We should—"

"No wait, there's some super thin guy sitting where he was at. Weird! He looks kinda like…"

Izuku was distracted by Mei, looking from her to the window in anticipation, so he didn't see as a small figure approached them from behind.

"Um, hello! What are you doing?"

Izuku turned around quickly at the chipper voice, looking around and not seeing anyone. _S-Someone invisible?_

"Ahem, down here."

He looked down, seeing a very short figure standing there. They were like an upright animal in a suit, looking like a combination of a dog, a mouse, and a bear, with white fur and a deep scar along their right eye.

"U-Um…" Izuku wasn't sure what to say about the person he was seeing. Alarming thoughts were in the back of his mind, but he couldn't remember why this person was familiar.

"That's it! All Might's is actually super thin or somethi—"

The seemingly happy animal-person suddenly flashed a dark look, jumping up at a quick speed and putting his paw on the back of Mei's neck, seemingly incredibly gently.

Mei froze in mid-sentence, falling over to the ground. Izuku yelled out in panic.

"W-Wait I remember now— You're..!"

"Principal Nezu! Am I a dog? A bear? A mouse? Who knows!"

The Principal laughed, while Izuku panicked and began to shake Mei worriedly.

"Don't worry, she's fine! But you know, U.A doesn't do kindly to snoopers. This is a prestigious institution!"

"I-I'm sorry, I—"

The Principal cracked his knuckles, a dark look on his face.

"You can explain it to me, and All Might as well."

* * *

The door to the teacher's lounge burst open, and All Might instantly puffed himself back up to his buff form, giving a large grin towards the entrance.

"Ah hello the— Eh?!"

All Might watched as Izuku and Mei were pushed inside by Principal Nezu, who walked in after them, shaking his head.

"Toshinori, I told you to be careful about what you were doing while on the school grounds," Nezu said to the Hero.

"What do you mean? I-I made sure nobody was around!"

"Oh? Then why did I catch two students peeking on you from afar?" The Principal casually walked over to a coffee machine, clambering up onto a stool to stand and make a cup.

All Might gave a dark look to Izuku and Mei, the boy freezing up under the gaze of his childhood Hero.

"I see the youth are quite spry huh," All Might said softly, before sighing. He flashed the Principal a look, who nodded to him in silent confirmation. With that, All Might allowed himself to transform back into his true form, wisps of steam rising from his body.

Izuku blinked, watching as the steam cleared, his eyes widening with shock as they finally got a good look at All Might's secret.

"If this is what you wanted to see, then here it is," All Might spoke solemnly.

The once large, muscular man who was renowned the world over, had now transformed into a thin, baggy-eyed figure, reminiscent of a walking skeleton.

"B-But why…?" This was all Izuku could manage to ask after a few moments of shock.

"Well, I can't go into it," the Hero replied with a shrug. "It's something that could put you both in danger, you know. This is exactly why sneaking around is against the rules."

Mei got a bit closer, moving around All Might and examining him, much to the man's dismay as he followed her with his eyes. Finally, Mei stopped and smiled, giving him a thumbs up.

"I'm just glad I get to see something cool and new!"

"M-Mei! This is—" Izuku panicked a bit, trying to pull her away from him.

All Might blinked at this statement, then let out a laugh and shook his head.

"Well, I can tell that you two are definitely good-hearted," All Might told them. "But I definitely don't appreciate the snooping. Principal Nezu?" Hearing his name, the Principal looked up with a 'Hmm?' As he casually sat on his stool, stirring sugar into his coffee. "What do we do about this?"

"Well, we have strict policies in place for misbehavior," The Principal began as he took a sip of coffee. "Usually we leave it up to their homeroom teacher, but this is more of a Hero course matter, I would say."

Izuku looked over to Mei, envying her happy expression when they were being confronted by the Principal and the #1 Hero in the world. He thought for a moment, and finally decided to take action.

"I-It's my fault… I-If you'd let me take the punishment, I will," Izuku spoke up. He got nervous when the two adults looked his way.

"As expected of the Quirkless student," the Principal said with a smirk.

"H-How many people know about me..?"

"Well, before I might have misspoken," All Might began, "You are not the first Quirkless student in these past few years since the rule was lifted, but, well…"

"They always end up flunking out! Isn't that crazy," the Principal interjected excitedly, sending coffee spilling everywhere.

"Gah! They flunk out?!" Izuku gasped and spoke quickly at the outburst from the Principal, who let out a wicked laugh.

Principal Nezu set his coffee mug down on the nearby table and hopped down, walking up to Izuku and looking up at him, before pointing over to All Might.

"You want to be a Hero, just like him, right?"

Izuku gulped, looking up to All Might, feeling his nerves starting to get the best of him as he wasn't sure what to say.

Luckily, Mei suddenly outbursts, saying, "Of course! Midoriya wants to become the #1 Hero! He practically worships All Might!"

"Mei!" Izuku could feel his face burning with embarrassment, even more than when she had forced him to confront his Middle School classmates weeks prior. The girl shot him a taunting, sly wink, as she usually did when she exposed one of his shortcomings.

"Of course! All Might is the envy of almost all of our students," the Principal exclaimed. "But you are in the Support class! Shouldn't you be focusing on your studies there?"

"I-I am," Izuku defended himself, leaning forward and motioning with his hands nervously. "I've been trying my best to learn and create to the best of my ability!"

"Yet here you are! Caught spying during class time!"

Izuku sat back, unable to retort that last part. It all did look really bad on him— If all previous Quirkless students had quit the school early, then what hope could they possibly have for another one who would rather spend their time breaking the rules? _I hate it but I've gotta step up and take the flak… I owe Mei that much._

"But—" Izuku looked up as the Principal began to speak again. "I've seen your Exam results! They speak for themselves really. Very impressive stuff! So I believe that you have promise, Midoriya— And you as well, Mei, who had the best scores we've seen in years!"

Izuku's spirits lifted a bit at these words, feeling Mei getting more excited by the praise as well.

"You need to keep to your studies, if you want any chance of entering the Hero Course," All Might told them. "It _is_ possible to transfer later. But for now, for obvious reasons… This should all remain a secret." He motioned to his current form.

Mei did a sort of mock salute. "Yes sir!"

"Y-Yes sir, All Might!" Izuku did the same as her.

All Might sighed and looked to the Principal. "I actually have an idea for a punishment now, if you don't mind?"

"Sure! I'll leave it up to your discretion!"

"Thank you. Well, Young Midoriya and Mei…." All Might turned into his buff form and smirked at the two deviously.

* * *

_I-I don't think I can do this!_

Izuku was standing before the large door to Hero Class 1-B. He was shaking as he looked across the hall, seeing Mei at the door to 1-A. She noticed him looking and gave him a thumbs up and a smile before pulling the door open and going inside with a loud greeting.

"Don't barge into classrooms like that!" Came the reprimanding voice of a man inside.

"Sorry!" Mei didn't sound sincere at all as she responded.

Izuku closed his eyes and took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down— Suddenly, the door to the room slammed open, making him jump in surprise. Inside, he could see the teacher, the Hero known as King Vlad, standing at the front podium, a trail of solidified blood attached to the door, which slithered back to him.

"Hey, you just gonna stand there forever? We don't have all day," the Hero barked.

"S-Sorry!" Izuku quickly stepped inside, instantly regretting it as he looked over, seeing twenty unfamiliar faces looking at him. In a slight daze from all of the attention, he cautiously approached the front, nervous sweats coming on.

"Well," Vlad began, "It seems that we have an avid Support class student whose here to take some requests for Support items. These will help you enhance your Quirks and your fighting styles— BUT!" He shouted that last part, making everyone snap to attention. "I won't allow you to use em til you prove your own strength first. Got it?"

"Sensei!" An orange-haired girl raised her hand and continued. "What exactly can we request?"

"Well, Kendo… I really don't know. What are you best at, kid," Vlad wondered, looking to Izuku.

All eyes had returned to him. He gulped, looking around, thankful to not see Bakugo anywhere, but feeling like he might've appreciated a familiar face after all.

"W-well I guess a-aerodynamics, electronics, machinery…" Izuku's voice was shaky, but he got a little more confident as he spoke more. "I-I'm sure I can manage to work with any Quirk—"

He paused as he saw the faces of the students staring blankly at him. _I-Is this how it feels to be Present Mic?!_

Then, suddenly, one person shot up from their seat. It was a guy who had a naturally angry-looking expression that reminded Izuku of Bakugo, with messy silver hair and thick yellow eyelashes of sorts around his eyes. He raised a fist high into the air.

"My Quirk lets me turn my body into Steel! Make me something to hit harder!"

_T-That seems reasonable—_

A girl stood up, one who had long brown hair that covered her head in a sort of mushroom shape.

"I'd want something to make my mushroom spores travel faster!"

_Mushrooms? I—_

Several more began to spout ideas off all at once, making it impossible for Izuku to even hear what they were saying.

"Hey! We should be more respectful," the girl named Kendo yelled to everyone. "Everyone introduce yourselves one at a time and pitch your ideas!"

Everyone looked a bit taken aback, not wanting to do as she said. However, they gave in and decided to take it a bit easier, much to Izuku's relief, as he listened to them.

"I'm Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu! Nice to meet you," the boy who had spoken first shouted aggressively, doing a quick bow, before continuing. "Like I said before— Make me hit things harder!"

Kendo sighed. "Do you even know what being respectful means?"

After a mind-numbing half an hour, the entire 1-B class had pitched Izuku something. Many of the ideas were outlandish and something that he wasn't even sure Mei would be able to create, but he still wrote it all down and was now faced with a choice, with everyone staring him down intensely.

_Well, h-here we go, I guess…_

"_You'll have one week to complete a few of their requests,_" he remembered All Might saying to them both. "_They need to learn to cherish the Support team's help at some point, so this will be a lesson for all of you_."

Taking a deep breath, Izuku began to say what he wanted to say. First, he pointed to Tetsutetsu.

"A-As for 'hitting harder', if you can turn yourself into Steel, I feel like something to absorb the shock of your hits could make it easier for you to… Punch harder and faster," Izuku said.

Tetsutetsu crossed his arms and nodded intensely, imagining that in his head.

"Yeah yeah, that sounds like something!"

"He has no idea what you're talking about," Kendo commented. Tetsutetsu scoffed.

Izuku chuckled a bit and turned towards the boy named Kosei, who had messy brown hair a bit of a plain look about him.

"Kosei, right…? Um… You can create solid air with your breath? So something to enhance your air intake and regulate breathing easier?"

Kosei nodded and raised a finger. "Yeah, but make sure it's not super basic. I want it to look cool, ya know?"

"R-Right…" Izuku jotted that down. When he looked up, the remaining 18 students were all watching him _very_ closely, the tension in the air rising as he began to get more nervous again.

_All of their Quirks are really amazing, _Izuku thought as he looked at his notes. _I hope I get to work with all of them eventually! But for now…_

"It was…Kodai?.." Izuku looked up at the girl with black hair and an emotionless, cool expression about her, a bit flustered. "Y-You wanted something you could reuse with your enlargement Quirk… As a close range defensive tool. L-Like a bracer or something?"

Yui Kodai nodded slowly. "It seems appropriate," she said softly.

"O-Okay, I think that's it I think—"

Many students from the rest of the class suddenly went into an uproar as everyone began to demand their ideas. Izuku began to panic a bit, while Vlad watched on, knowing his was all part of the boy's punishment. Suddenly, the boy named Monoma, who had been fairly quiet the whole time, stood up, one hand lifted to the air while the other patted his chest.

"Though he may not be able to help us all today, should we not all cherish our relationship with the Support students? They will soon be able to assist us all in our venture as Heroes," Monoma said dramatically.

"You're just sucking up to him so you get chosen," the boy with a peculiar set of teeth on the outside of his mouth, Juzo Honenuki, commented.

"No no no, I would never!" Monoma let out a soft laugh.

_You totally would_, was what everyone in Class 1-B thought in unison.

With that, Izuku had his assignment. After giving a brief and awkward goodbye and promising to do his best, he quickly headed out of the classroom, only for King Vlad to approach him one last time.

"Hey, if I ever catch you snooping around my class, you'll hell to pay, you got it?"

Izuku looked at the largely built Hero, seeing the seriousness in his face. He nodded and bowed his head politely.

"I-I'm sorry! I'll do my best for you all," Izuku exclaimed.

"Good! Don't let my students down," Vlad said before heading back into the classroom.

Izuku breathed a sigh of relief that he had made it out of the class unscathed. Footsteps made him turn to see Mei approaching him, peculiar scuffs and burn marks on her clothes now, but the usual big smile on her face.

"D-Did 1-A do that to you?!"

"Huh? What, this?" Mei looked down at her uniform and the rough shape it was in. "Nope! I showed off some of my babies for examples and they might've exploded a bit."

"Aren't we supposed to be making amends…? Not making the Hero students hate us," Izuku commented.

Mei laughed. "They'll totally be amazed when they see our babies anyways!"

"N-Not so loud," Izuku motioned for her to quiet down. "Can we get back to class without getting into more trouble, Mei?"

"No guarantees! But I do wanna get back to get started as soon as possible," Mei said as they started to head out.

"I don't know if we'll get the chance… We um, kinda forgot something—"

* * *

Ken and Shiro glared viciously at Izuku and Mei, who had just arrived back at class.

"What happened to our combined girl power," Shiro wondered through gritted teeth to Mei, who rubbed the back of her head and shrugged, not going to defend herself.

"What was that about me not doing the entire project? I recall something like that, Midoriya," Ken commented darkly to Izuku.

"I'm sorry! W-We um… Well…" Izuku wasn't sure how to tell them what happened, since it was supposed to be a secret.

Luckily, the two were saved when Power Loader intervened and approached them.

"They got caught up in some Hero requests," their teacher explained. "They were given extra credit assignments directly from the Hero classes."

This didn't help much, as Ken and Shiro seemed even more angry than before.

"So you both ditched us to get extra credit?!" The two yelled in unison.

Power Loader chuckled a bit, but then placed a large hand on both Mei and Izuku's shoulders. They looked back at him, seeing a rare, very serious expression beneath his helmet.

"Don't go causing anymore trouble like this from now on, got it?"

Izuku and Mei both gulped and nodded. Their sensei patted their shoulders and walked away.

"You've got an hour until it's time to test your robots, so no slacking off," Power Loader spoke over his shoulder.

* * *

Thus, the day continued on normally, as normal as a day like that could get at least. Izuku couldn't help but think about All Might and all that had transpired. The pressure was on more than ever, at least, that's how Izuku felt about it all.

_They expect me to do well, so I can't let them down anymore!_

Izuku lifted what he had just created into the air, smiling at it, feeling the excitement of a successful creation rising. Ken noticed and got close, examining it.

"Is this what I think it is?"

Izuku nodded. "I got the idea for this baby from Class 1-B," he said. "It'll help absorb the shock from the force of an attack!"

"So it's a prototype for those things you have to make, huh," Ken commented.

"Yep, and we'll be able to test it right now!"

Ken sighed and shrugged. "Well… I hope your inventions are better than your work ethic."

"A-Are you never going to forgive me?!"

"Nope!"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Challenge: Izuku vs Ken**


	13. Challenge: Izuku vs Ken

_**A/N: Whoops, been gone for a while…. **_

_**Well, This chapter's odd, but exciting things are coming~ **_

_**Also I for some reason had people calling her Mei this whole time, when everyone calls her Hatsume— Whoops. From Ch. 12 on it'll be Hatsume, but Ill edit previous chapters eventually!**_

_**Enjoy!**_

**Chapter Twelve: Challenge: Izuku vs Ken**

* * *

Izuku thought that their first exciting week at U.A would close out peacefully, so that they could reflect on everything and consolidate their learning that weekend. Mei and Shiro had won the robot battles with ease, while Izuku and Ken struggled to work together after Izuku was gone for most of the time spent working on it. His grades took a large hit, but Izuku was just glad that the boy didn't absolutely hate his guts.

However, that Friday, Izuku quickly found that the crazy week was only ramping up to a climax.

It all started with a discussion about Ken's Quirk, with Izuku interested in the process of what deciding what he can and cannot create with it. It quickly took a turn for the worse when Izuku brought something he had noticed up.

"Ken, you always use pencils over pens… Is that a preference?"

Ken stopped his writing, blinking down at the paper before him, tensing up a bit. Izuku blinked at him, a bit confused by his reaction.

"It's nothing," the boy said simply.

"Eh? I mean, there's gotta be a—"

Suddenly, Ken flashed Izuku a dark look, making him stop in mid-sentence.

"It's… not something I can discuss," Ken said, making his pencil go back into his hand and sighing.

_That's just… super sketchy! I want to know even more now! _Izuku thought.

After discussing it with Mei a bit, he approached Ken just before lunchtime. The boy noticed Izuku coming and gave him a highly skeptical look, as if already suspecting something was up.

"Here, Ken, I thought this might be easier to use!" Izuku presented him with a black writing pen.

"No."

Izuku chuckled nervously. "B-But you know, sometimes you have to use a pen for certain tests—"

Suddenly, Ken slapped the pen out of Izuku's hand, sending it sprawling to the ground. Everyone stopped and looked over towards them in confusion. They were in their study period, with free reign on what they worked on while the chosen teacher, today Present Mic, watched over them. Though the man was preoccupied with a book and usually didn't seem to pay them much mind.

"What was that for?"

Ken crossed his arms and shook his head. "Look, I used a pencil throughout all of my school years… I was innocent and dumb, and I never used a pen, _ever_, so I can't create one with my Quirk."

Izuku didn't know what to make of that explanation, feeling his brain frying a bit.

"Er… can't you just… Do it now," Izuku pointed out.

"Never! It's my curse, my punishment for being so foolish," Ken exclaimed with some angst behind it.

"Wow this guy's kinda an idiot," came the voice of Shiro who was snooping on their conversation.

"Come on Ken, it's just a pen," Izuku said, trying to smile it off as he picked the pen up.

"Don't come near me with that!" Ken pointed accusingly at Izuku and backed up a bit, as if a frightened animal.

"Is he like… Threatening to stab him with the pen? I didn't know he was like that," the sharp-toothed Risako commented from nearby, a big smirk on her face as if she loved the thought of violence occurring.

Realizing everyone was watching them and making assumptions, Izuku gulped and looked down at the pen. _If he really wants to be difficult about it, then—_

Izuku wasn't sure at that point why he had done it, but he lifted the pen, pointing it at Ken, a determined look on his face.

"Then I'll challenge you, Ken! If I win, you have to accept this pen from me!"

There was silence that followed, mostly out of confusion as to what was going on. Ken was a bit shocked by the outburst, looking around at all the eyes on them. He scowled and turned away from Izuku.

"Well, that's an official declaration then… So this afternoon then, we'll do it," he said solemnly.

Izuku nodded. "Alright, then that's settled!"

_What the hell is going on?_ Thought most of the rest of the class.

* * *

After having to try and explain what was happening to most of the class, Izuku finally got to decide on a challenge with Ken during lunch, before he gave him the cold shoulder once more.

_T-This is ridiculous, but I won't let him be afraid of something so dumb!_ Izuku thought as the time came for them to return to class.

Power Loader was awaiting them, prepared to begin a lesson on how the Business course students could become their best way of getting friends in higher places to support their creations in the future. He took notice of a sort of excited atmosphere.

"Did I miss something?" Their teacher looked around at everyone.

"Actually, Midoriya had challenged Ryuken to a challenge earlier today," the short and round boy named Kiyotaka, preferring just 'Taka', said, adjusting his glasses.

Power Loader looked out at the two boys. Izuku and Ken flashed each other a glare. Their sensei sighed and scratched his chin in thought.

"Two in one week huh, Midoriya," Power Loader commented.

"S-Sorry! You did say we can only be challenged once a week but challenge as much as we want," Izuku explained apologetically.

"But you _also _have extra credit work that you still need to complete," Power Loader retorted.

Izuku hadn't forgotten the three requests from the Hero course he still needed to complete. He hadn't been able to do much over the past couple of days, and only had five more to go before they were due.

"Sensei," Ken spoke up, "I'll help him with the extra credit if you allow us to do this challenge."

Izuku looked back at the boy in surprise, but Ken looked away with a scoff.

"I'll help too!" Mei shot a hand up.

"I could spare some time," Yuki spoke up from his seat, shrugging.

Seeing Yuki agree, Shiro jumped up. "I'll totally help too!"

Power Loader made a helpless gesture. "Well, if you insist… What do you both have in mind?"

Izuku stood and began to explain. "Well… We wanted to test our abilities at creation, so that we aren't wasting any lesson time," he began. "So we wanted to go with base building!"

"Base building?"

"Yeah! Whoever can make the best protection against a simulated Villain attack wins!"

"Now that's actually interesting," Power Loader said with a nod. "If you had said Jenga again I might've kicked you out of the class. Very well, we'll take the lesson outside then."

Everyone cheered, happy to get out of the classroom. Izuku was glad that nobody seemed too excited about their challenge, remembering how intense the games against Yuki had been with everyone watching.

"If I even think for a second that you're letting me win," Ken said simply as he passed Izuku, "I'll totally kill you. Good luck."

"Y-You too…"

* * *

_**Mid- Chapter Break~**_

**Name: Ryuken "Ken" Takana**

**Age: 15**

**Quirk: Skin Creation - Can recreate **

**Personality: **

**Power: 2 / 5 D - Speed 2 / 5 D- Technique 5 / 5 A - Intelligence 4 / 5 B- Cooperativeness 2 / 5 D**

* * *

Power Loader had taken the class outside to an area within the trees that filled a lot of the space of the large U.A campus. Here, there were many broken stone formations and large chunks of metal jutting out of the ground, with caution tape surrounding the area.

"The second year Heroes kind of made a mess out here," Power Loader explained. "I owe them a solid for helping with some slackers last year… So consider this some community service mixed in with the challenge."

Everyone groaned, thinking they would have an easy time outside, only to find a lot of work awaiting them.

"Yeah yeah—Midoriya, Ken, you can both pick one person to help you out," Power Loader told the two. "The rest of you need to pay attention to the lesson."

The students groaned again, seemingly conflicted about a lesson versus hard labor.

Izuku already knew what he wanted to do. He approached Mei, who held up a hand in his face to stop him.

"Nope! I need to learn all can about future investors," Mei said to him.

"B-But—"

Mei laughed. "You've got other classmates and friends and stuff now right?"

Izuku turned to see three people approaching him quickly, taking him by surprise. Beyond them he could see a few others going up to Ken as well.

It was Taro, Taka, and Tokoi Konoda, the three all looking at Izuku expectantly.

"Work with me!" They all said in unison.

"U-Uhh, well…."

Izuku looked for an out, but saw Yuki politely sitting beneath the shade of a nearby tree, seemingly uncaring about the situation, while Shiro seemed to be stalking him from afar. With a sigh, Izuku decided to think about the three before him.

Urushima Taro was a beautiful girl, her distinctive red curly hair making Izuku get nervous just being around her. From the past few days, he had learned that her Quirk allowed her to maximize her effort at one task, going many times faster than she could normally, before getting tired out.

Taka, as he liked to be called, was short and well-rounded, but his Quirk was quite useful. It allowed the boy to vividly recall anything he had seen or heard, creating what he described as an "interactive simulation" in his head. He also proved to be knowledgeable in most things, most of the time to the annoyance of others.

Lastly was Tokoi Konoda, someone who truly stuck out amongst 1-H. His head had taken on a sort of Hammer-like shape, his face rounded and flat with his hair jutting back like the backside of a hammer tool. He always seemed annoyed or bored so Izuku hadn't talked to him much, and he wasn't exactly sure what he could bring to the table.

"Konoda, um… What do you use your Quirk for?"

The hammer-headed boy scoffed and thumbed to his head.

"I mean, what do you think…? My head's as hard as Tungsten metal, so I hit things with it," the boy explained roughly.

"I-I see," Izuku said with a nervous smile. _I'm sure he's tired of people asking him about that…_

He asked for their specialities: Taro was good at Combat devices, Taka was good with computers and robotics, and Tokoi mainly did metalworking and forging(of course stating that it should have been obvious what he specialized in.)

After thinking for a few moments, Izuku made a decision.

"Konoda, could you help me?"

Konoda seemed surprised by the choice, crossing his arms and nodding intensely.

"Of course!"

Taro sighed. "I just wanted to skip a lesson for once.." The girl seemed dejected.

Taka shrugged. "I could've played back the lesson later with my Quirk, but no matter. Good luck!"

As the two trudged off, Izuku felt like he could breathe again. He looked over to where Ken had seemingly chosen his partner— A girl named Sae, who was always very kind and motherly to everyone. Ken noticed his gaze and looked back at him.

_Alright, you're on! I'll win this for sure!_

* * *

"-And with that, you have the perfect streamlined path to a truly successful business partnership!"

Power Loader finished his long lecture loudly and happily, but he looked out at everyone to see that most of them were incredibly bored, while Mei sat and was intensely excited about it all.

"Ahem, well, in summary, Just make sure you cherish the relationships between your fellow students, you never know when it might come in handy," he finished off.

Suddenly, Shiro stood up, pointing away.

"Whoa! Look at those!"

Everyone looked over, shocked to find that the two had finished. Power Loader looked up at the sky, seeing the Sun's position. _Finished in just a couple of hours huh?_

Where there was once much debris and wreckage was now cleaned up and barren, except for the two small towers that now stood prominently. They were both a story tall and just wide enough to fit two people, and each had their two creators standing at the top confidently.

Izuku and Konoda's tower was a simple square design that got thicker at the bottom and top to add more sturdiness. Hidden below the bottom was lots of metal pieces that they had used for a foundation, making it much more secure than its rough appearance would imply when just looking at it.

Ken and Sae had created what could only be described as a Church clocktower of sorts. Its design led to a thin point at the top, and had stainless glass windows across it, and a thick metal base at the bottom. Sae's Quirk, which allowed her to sing to blow glass from her hands, had managed to create what looked like masterful pieces of stained glass art, wowing everyone as the Sunlight made it glitter.

"Too showy, ours is way more practical," Konoda said.

Izuku nodded confidently. "Yeah, I believe in our teamwork— Oh, theres a panel sticking up here."

Konoda looked at what he was talking about and approached the panel. He pressed on it, but it came back up, bent a bit.

"Let me get a tool—"

"Nonsense! This is what I was made for," Konoda exclaimed, getting on his knees and rearing his head back.

"N-No don't—!"

Before Izuku could stop him, the boy slammed his head into the panel hard. The strength behind it made the entire tower tremble, as Izuku noticed more metal sheets and panels starting to come undone.

"Run!" Izuku and Konoda both abandoned the tower, which began to tremble violently as they left it, before finally collapsing into a dangerous pile of metal rubble, sending dust all around.

Coughing, Izuku looked at their destroyed creation after the dust had settled, in complete disbelief.

"Well, I uh…" Konoda blinked and looked away from everyone's gaze. "I've got a strong head…"

Power Loader approached Izuku, looking at the rubble.

"Well, at least it's all in a nice pile," he commented. "Needless to say, I think you lost."

Izuku nodded, dusting himself off. _Well that could've gone much worse… I mean, who did they plan on using to test them out anyways?_

"This dust makes for a dramatic entrance! I am hereeee!"

Izuku slowly turned his head at the familiar voice. Through the fading dust, the familiarly large buff figure could be seen.

"All Might!" Many of the students exclaimed all at once.

"A-All Might! No way that they'd test us out with him, that's gotta be—" Izuku was cut off as Ken suddenly began to yell.

"Don't go easy, All Might! I want to show my power!"

All Might laughed at the enthusiasm of the boy, looking to Power Loader for confirmation. He gave him the 'okay' before the Hero stepped up, seemingly taking in the excited talk of the students who would've never expected to see him show up for their class.

"Just one good one and then I've gotta run," the Hero said with a grin. "You should both vacate the base you know!"

Ken folded his arms and stoos confidently. Sae didn't look quite as confident, but she wasn't going anywhere, giving a shrug and a warm smile.

"I see… Well…" All Might held up his hands innocently. "I might have to hold back a bit then."

"Hmph, whatever you do won't matter," Ken retorted. "Because I know it'll hold up!"

"Alright then, here it comes!"

All Might dramatically began to roll his shoulder, as if winding up a punch, the air starting to kick up around him. Everyone was surprised, watching the powerful Hero begin to charge up what seemed to he an incredibly powerful attack.

Sae had backed down, apologizing before leaving the structure. Ken stood tall, trying not to show any fear, though he was starting to sweat from the rising anxiety.

Finally, All Might let the attack rip… Just much slower than everyone had anticipated.

The Hero's fist came forward steadily and slowly, before reaching its max reach. At the very end, there was a slight push of force, and that made much of the wind swirling around suddenly get blasted forwards. Everyone watched as the strong wind current slammed into Ken and Sae's base, making the boy have to hold on as the entire structure began to shake.

Nobody could hear what Ken was yelling, but the boy was yelling something. The stain glass of their over-designed base shattered and flew up into the air. As the wind settled, the sparkling glass fluttered down, gleaming in the light as Ken stood back up slowly.

The base was still standing. He opened his arms dramatically amongst the sparkling glass floating down all around him, his hair shooting straight up now.

"I… Am… The best!"

With this exclamation, everyone cheered, even Izuku who couldn't help but he amazed.

"I'm impressed you held back," Power Loader commented.

"Nonsense! That was full power, just… Slower," All Might lied with a laugh, before turning and darting away quickly, leaving clouds of dust in his wake, before anyone could stop him.

The students of 1-H were amazed to have seen All Might, but Izuku was just glad that the Hero hadn't said anything to him.

_Not much time left to finish the Hero items…_

"Midoriya!"

Izuku looked up to see Ken approaching him. He reached a hand out, and Izuku blinked at it before taking it and shaking it. Ken still wore his usual bored expression, but he could tell a fire was burning in the boy's eyes.

"Thanks for the opportunity to show my stuff," Ken said. "We gotta work on those items right?"

"Y-Yeah," Izuku said with a smile. "Good job! You're really great!"

Nearby, Tokoi scoffed at being left out, still feeling sour about his role in destroying their chances. Sae patted his shoulder comfortingly.

With this, their first week of U.A had come to an end, and Ken continued to never write using a pen.

But it wouldn't be long before the lingering darkness lurking around U.A would manifest and show itself….

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Lockdown (USJ Arc)**


	14. Lockdown (USJ Arc)

_**A/N: Enjoy the double chapter update since I've been gone! Time for some real plottening. **_

_**Also I for some reason had people calling her Mei this whole time, when everyone calls her Hatsume— Whoops. From Ch. 12 on itll be Hatsume, but Ill edit previous chapters eventually!**_

**Chapter Thirteen - Lockdown**

* * *

As the students started their second week of classes, a major event was kicked into motion, one that would shook U.A to his core.

The day started like any other for Class 1-H. Their class representative, chosen a few days prior by nearly unanimous decision, approached the front of their homeroom. Izuku looked up at him with a small smile, feeling like they couldn't have a more fitting rep.

Yuki looked around at them seriously, with their teacher, Power Loader, to his side.

"There was a breach of security the other day," Yuki began. "Somehow, the front gate that shut out the press, well, it got destroyed— Crumbled to dust. And they don't think a simple press member could do that."

Everyone was surprised by this. Last week, the alarms had sounded and everyone panickingly tried to flee the building. It ended up just being the press, who desperately wanted to ask about All Might and his role as a teacher there, and were crowded around at the front.

_I remember hearing how tight security is here,_ Izuku thought to himself. _Lots of motion sensors and automatically-locking metal gates everywhere… But Someone managed to destroy it so easily and get away with it?_

"The Support Classes have been asked to work on this matter as a matter of high importance," Yuki told them.

"Hey, why's this the first time we've heard of the breach?" It was Shiro who interjected, as she stood on her chair, waving her hand around to make up for her shortness.

Power Loader waved the question away with a hand. "It wasn't supposed to get out, but, well, leave it up to some nosy students…"

Izuku saw their teacher flick him a look, making him gulp. _I think he's still mad about us sneaking away and spying on All Might..._

"Anyhow," Power Loader continued, "This is a great opportunity to learn. If you recall, Midoriya and Ken had a challenge before, about base building? You got to see a bit of what you can accomplish, though, hopefully much better than what they had made."

Ken scoffed softly from the back of the classroom, laying his head on his arms on his desk and looking ahead with a bored expression.

"Mine was pretty good," the boy grumbled as he flipped the pen he had created along his hand.

"We'll start by going over what everyone excels at, and then from there we can start working on creating a smooth assembly process," Yuki explained further.

Despite Yuki's serious nature, everyone was excited by the prospect of having such an important task. Izuku turned to Mei for some insight from her, only to find the pink-haired girl scribbling away in a journal furiously, nearly creating smoke from the strokes of her pencil.

"U-Um..?"

The girl's pencil came to a screeching halt, and she turned to Izuku with a smile.

"I've already got a solution— Tadah!"

Mei lifted the journal, putting it right in his face. He backed up a bit, looking at what she had drawn— From the looks of it, it was some kind of… Laser weapon, that could identify targets and—

"Hatsume, I feel like that's going overboard," Izuku commented.

"Ehh? But it's _effective_ right? Imagine this baby that can access criminal databases and use facial recognition to identify a threat and BLAM—" She closed the journal hard for emphasis , then chuckled. "I don't mean it'll kill them or something but… Maybe scare them?"

"That's… better than what I thought I guess," Izuku said with a nervous smile.

As the class began to bustle with conversation, everything changed in an instant.

A loud alarm began to blare, a familiar scene from what had happened during the press fiasco. Everyone was a lot more calm this time, looking around in confusion.

"What, the stupid journalists are back?" Shiro scoffed and sat back in her chair as if uncaring.

The door to the room opened quickly. They all looked to see the teacher from the nearby 1-F class of support students there.

"Power Loader, this is a level four alert," the tall man spoke.

Izuku was surprised to see their teacher's calm demeanor slip for a moment, as his mouth and eyes opened wider, before he nodded to the man and turned to the class.

"We're on lockdown. Everyone is to stay put," Power Loader told the class seriously.

"Sensei—"

"What's going on?"

Many gripes arose from the students, until Power Loader suddenly grabbed his helmet and pulled it off, giving them all a good view of his deathly serious expression beneath his messy ginger hair, quieting them down.

"I said everybody stays put. If you leave, you're expelled, got it? Yuki, I trust you can keep the peace."

The teacher didn't wait for them to respond, putting his helmet back on and rushing out of the room.

The whole building began to tremble, as the sound of metal on metal could be heard all around. The door to the classroom was shut behind a metal sheet with a small, thick window near the top.

It was at this point that panic began to set in.

"What the hell! We're gonna die!" The first outburst game from Soga Ninsei, his usually cocky rich-kid attitude vanishing as he shot up in a panic.

Shuzo, the boy with the prickly beard who was often seen as being laid back, also stood quickly, shouting, "Sensei just left us here! Why couldn't we come help?— Wait, what are you doing, Taka? Are you thinking of a way to help us?"

To his right, the bespectacled boy at the front center desk was sitting in contemplation, his eyes darting from left to right as he twiddled his fingers. Finally, he stopped and nodded, as if content.

"I was running through my entire life for a moment, now I can die in peace," Taka said confidently.

"Wow, that's such a useful Quirk— Wait what the hell?! You're no help!"

Izuku stood and tried to raise his voice the best he could. "G-Guys, we should really—"

From nearby, a burst of smoke made Izuku jump in surprise. It was Taro, the redhead girl's hair erupting into flames as she began to furiously write something down onto pieces of paper at a blurring speed.

"Taro! What are you doing?" Izuku didn't want to get closer to see what she was doing.

"Writing my will!"

Amongst the chaos, Mei sat in thought, not giving much care to her classmates, while Shiro decided to join in on the panick. Only a couple of the students like Ken at the back and the tall, thin Sunada Kichi at the front were staying relaxed, the latter snickering at the commotion.

Yuki was getting ticked off at it all, knowing his voice wouldn't be enough. He produced five pens from the teacher's lectern, and tossed them with expert precision out at specific targets.

_Click click click click click! _They all struck their marks, hitting Shiro, Ninsei, Shuzo, Taro, and Izuku right in the forehead, leaving a tiny mark from the force of the pens. Ninsei looked pissed to have been struck by Yuki again, while Taro's hair was sizzling as it returned to normal, the others rubbing their heads and wincing at the dull pain.

"Everyone, _shut up!_"

As the targets all reeled from the sudden attack, the entire class looked towards the front, where Yuki had his arms crossed, looking peeved.

Izuku groaned, rubbing his temple as he questioned aloud, "Wait why me? What did I do?"

"Something is wrong, obviously, but we are U.A students— We should stay strong," Yuki told them sternly.

"Shouldn't we be trying to help? That's what I want to do," Shozu commented, nervously stroking his patchy goatee. "I'm not about sitting around twiddling our di—"

"We're not a part of the Hero class, are we?" Yuki shot the boy a serious look, making him back down. "Were not allowed to act as we please. If anyone tries to leave, you will get _every _item in this classroom thrown at you."

Taking a deep breath, Yuki turned to the board and took a piece of chalk.

"Now, we should try and begin the lesson to show Power Loader that we can be trusted—"

_Sizzle… Crack! _The lights above burst suddenly, leaving the room and the hallway outside in darkness, the loud noise startling everyone.

The door to the classroom busted open, and the following actions only happened in a matter of seconds.

The sounds of multiple pairs of footsteps flooded the room, but amongst the panick and the darkness, they mostly went unnoticed at first.

One second had passed.

Yuki turned, his eyes barely adjusting to the darkness, though he could already make out small movements. He hurled the chalk with intense force towards a figure that was moving towards the front center desk, where Taka sat. It hit them hard, sending a poof of chalk dust that marked them in the shadows.

Izuku, who was towards the middle of the class, hadn't caught on until someone suddenly grabbed hold of him, then another person, and another. It felt as though several arms were ensnaring him, one hand covering his mouth to stop him from making a noise.

Two seconds had passed.

Yuki made a move, springing forward into action, his eyes locked onto the figure he had marked, ready to attack them. However, he suddenly felt as multiple different people grabbed onto him from behind, surprising him as he hadn't seen them in the darkness.

Izuku was struggling, but couldn't shake whoever had grabbed him. _What's going on! Someone—_

Three seconds had passed.

Izuku's muffled voice was enough to alert some around him. Urushima Taro, who sat in front of Mei, was frightened by the sudden darkness and confusion, her legs shaking with fear and anticipation as her hair erupted into flames again, illuminating part of the classroom.

Mei was taken down as soon their attackers became visible, being grabbed by several figures wearing black clothing and hoods. Izuku could only watch as he was dragged away towards the front, seeing Mei being grabbed by the same assailants as himself.

Yuki could feel his large, broad build was enough to escape his smaller captors, but the sheer number of people he felt grabbing onto him made it nearly impossible to squirm.

Four seconds had passed.

Some of the students shot up to help, seeing the surprising commotion. However, one of the masked figures suddenly jumped at Taro and grabbed a hold of her, smothering the flames to put them back into darkness.

It was too late. Knowing they were under attack, the students began to fight back.

Five seconds had passed.

Hirari Wakata, as the fitness nut of the class, was quick to sprint in from the back of the class and grab hold of the attacker who was grabbing Taro, pulling them off. Taro was crying from the surprise, quickly moving to hide under her desk, her hair no longer alight again.

"Who do you think you are! Coming in here!" Wakata growled and reared back a fist to punch the person on the ground.

Suddenly, the person began to glow a bright blue glow, which only seemed to grow brighter and more intense—

Six seconds had passed, but the deed had already been done.

They exploded into a blinding blue light, sending crackles of electricity all around the class, making everyone take cover. When it had finished, they were left in the dark once more, until several lights flicked on from the back.

Ken had produced several flashlights along his hands and arms with his quirk, protruding from his skin as he pointed them all around to nearly illuminate the room.

"My bad, it took a second to make all these," Ken spoke, sweating a bit from the exertion.

"Well, that was crazy," Wakata said, picking up the black cloak from the ground where the person had seemingly self destructed. "Is everyone okay?"

Ken moved the flashlights around, everyone seemingly very startled but alright for the most part, except for—

"Looks like we're missing the class prez, Midoriya, and Hatsume," Ken said solemnly.

Everyone looked around in disbelief, confirming that they were missing.

"Great! They'll be expelled," Shuzo exclaimed.

"Isn't that the least of the worries? Like, death," Ken pointed out nonchalantly.

Taro made a noise of fear, and Wakata shot a glare over at Ken, who shrugged it off, not interested in hurt feelings.

"I think I got it," came Taka from the front. The short pudgy boy pushed up on his glasses and sighed, pointing to the front door. "I went over what had happened with my Quirk, and it seems like almost thirty people ran in and snatched those three up," he explained.

"I knew it was super useful," Shuzo said with a grin. "Wait, are you… crying?"

Taka sniffled, wiping his tears away from under his glasses as he nodded softly.

"I saw it… Yuki… They were going to grab me too but he made them hesitate and saved me!" The boy began to cry, and everyone looked down as a melancholic feel washed over them all….

* * *

The sound of two doors being busted open echoed through the gymnasium, as several figures rushed inside, holding the struggling Izuku, Mei, and Yuki. Once inside, a few of them shut the doors and moved objects in front of it, before the others tossed the three students to the ground, releasing them.

"W-Who are you guys?" Izuku got up quickly, ready to fight if he had too— However, a faint red glow from the nearby bleachers made him look that way, his eyes widening in surprise.

There sat Miss Negative, the hero whom had helped them with their entrance exam and could create copies of herself made of light.

_If its her then that means… _Izuku thought about how there was the bright blue explosion, and turned to the cloaked figures behind them. Sure enough, he could make out the gentle features of a Miss Positive clone, who had a small smile on her face that matched the identical faces of the others.

"I'm glad you came… Well, I guess one got left behind," Miss Negative said with a sigh, as a ripple of red light moved over her body.

"Miss Negative…? But—" Izuku was cut off as Yuki took a step towards her.

"We'll be returning to class, so don't think of trying anything again," Yuki told her confidently.

Miss Negative chuckled and stood weakly, looking down to him. "But you've only just arrived, won't you hear me out at least?"

_Is this what the alarms were about? Is it because of her…?_

Izuku peered over at Mei, who seemed to have a blank expression on her face as she stared at the woman. He could tell, from watching her for many months, that she was probably using her Quirk, Zoom, to analyze her.

He then looked to Yuki, who narrowed his eyes at the Hero ahead of them. "No," he stated firmly.

The woman sighed. "I had hoped to get your insight as well, but I knew you'd be a feisty one. Perhaps this will do better?"

She motioned with a hand, and several of the Miss Positives rushed in towards them.

_I don't have my Flow! I can't—_

While Izuku hesitated, Yuki sprung into action quickly, knowing he had the strength necessary to take on the clones. The first one to reach him was given a swift punch directly to the throat, sending them toppling to the ground, the force enough to do them in despite breathing not being an issue for the creations.

Two more clones approached. Yuki dodged their agile kicks, his Quirk-️ enhanced eyes flicking around to analyze each movement in order to accurately dodge, then retaliate. He grabbed one of the clones legs in mid-air, turning and tossing her away, before turning and taking a kick to the head, which he quickly shrugged off.

Izuku watched the quick exchange in awe. _That's right, the clones are fairly light and not that strong alone! So…_

Steeling his nerves, Izuku reached out towards where Mei had been, only to find her gone. Confused, he looked around and saw that she had her goggles over her eyes, and was slowly approaching Miss Negative.

"Hatsume! What—" Izuku was cut off as a clone grabbed hold of him and kneed him in the stomach. Confirming the hunch that they weren't that strong, and thanking the physical training he did before attending U.A, Izuku recovered easily and jumped up, delivering a hard uppercut to the clone, sending her stumbling backwards before her whole body dissolved into a blue light. "Alright, this shouldn't be too bad…" He flexed his fingers, readying them.

Miss Negative watched the two boys fighting, then looked to the approaching Mei. The woman raised her hands defensively, but a red shimmer overtook her body for a moment, causing her to fall back on the bleachers, groaning.

"Something's wrong, right? Is your Quirk backfiring or something," Mei asked, adjusting her goggles as she analyzed the woman.

"I knew you were an astute one… Hatsume Mei…"

The Miss Positives all looked towards the original with concern. This gave Yuki and Izuku a good chance to take some of them down, as they delivered punches and threw them away with ease.

"I'm fading… I don't have long," Miss Negative explained with an increasingly raspy voice. "I could only hope to bring someone here to help… I couldn't trust a pro Hero… or anyone else…"

Hearing this, Izuku paused. He looked to Yuki who shoulder tackled one of the clones and gave them a punch to the gut, making them dissolve into light particles.

"Yuki, wait a sec—"

Miss Negative looked up at Mei, a sadness overtaking her usual sly expression.

"I'm disappearing… I can't… Control myself anymore…"

"A Quirk meltdown? I've heard of it happening," Mei commented, lifting her goggles and placing a hand to her chin in thought. "There's been people completely taken over or killed by their Quirks before! Why didn't you get help sooner?"

Miss Negative waved the question away with a hand, responding, "I couldn't trust anyone with this, but I've waited too long I suppose…"

Mei nodded slowly. "I get it, so maybe you saw potential in us to help? Because you watched us during the entrance exams?"

A small smile appeared on Miss Negative's face at this. "You're correct, I—"

The ripple of red light overtook her once more, and the clones began to shimmer and squirm as if in pain. Yuki looked back at Izuku, but decided it was a time for action and turned on his heel, rushing towards where Mei and Miss Negative were.

_Something's not right about all of this… Is this even related to the lockdown at all?... No, the teachers left, they wouldn't have if the threat was inside the school! _Izuku thought.

Miss Negative let out a yell of pain. The glow emitting from her and the clones began to grow, and Izuku's eyes widened. He was between Mei and Yuki, both potentially staring in the face of danger, the jumble of confusing thoughts making his legs stay put, unable to move.

_What do I—_

A red light suddenly erupted out and bathed the over entire gymnasium, blinding them for a few moments. Something about the light seemed oddly warming as Izuku's eyes darted around, unable to see a thing.

But within the blinding light, Izuku could've sworn he heard the sound of someone crying.

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Chapter: Polarity Pt. I**


	15. Polarity Pt I (USJ Arc)

**Chapter Fourteen - Polarity Pt. I**

* * *

A young girl with a dream and a strong Quirk, someone with bright eyes that looked upon the world with love and intrigue, every waking moment full of joy.

That was who Miss Negative, or Hyumi Hitaka, had been once.

Hiyumi's school years were full of strife and pain, with parents who were Quirkless and hated their daughter for being special. With peers who would tease and mock her at every turn throughout her school years, whether it be for her half-European features or the way she always smiled.

Still, the girl never let it get her down. She smiled and continued on, studying and working hard.

Until the day that her parents abandoned her, fleeing the country and leaving her with incredible amounts of debt to be paid.

Hiyumi's high school life changed drastically, with her being forced to work while keeping up with school. Her smile and her soul slowly wilted over time, but never completely went away.

_I know they'll come back for me,_ she always told herself. _I believe in them!_

Hiyumi's Quirk helped her get through the bad times as well. At first, she could only manage one clone who appeared like her elementary-school self. Over time, with practice, she managed to create a clone matching her current High School appearance, and the another, and another—

Finally, she could have a full household once more. Her clones maintained the smile that she once had, and truly lifted her spirits as they were capable of thinking along the same lines as herself.

What Hiyumi hadn't considered, however, was that her negative emotions would affect her clones as well.

It was her Senior year of High School when it happened. A rainy day had left her stranded there after cleaning up the classroom, waiting for it to let up a bit. The sight and smell of rain was calming to Hiyumi, but it also reminded her of her own sadness.

Thus, she formed a clone to wait with her. This clone she named "Ani," a name she'd give a specific clone sometimes to pretend they were a continuous person always there, never fading away. Of course, their memories from before were gone, replaced with a happy, blank slate who was oblivious to the bad parts of life.

This time was different however. Ani's smile fell almost instantly as she looked around at the dark school and the rain pouring outside.

"This really sucks," the clone spoke.

Hiyumi's eyes widened. She looked at the replica of herself, seeing pain and sadness in her, as if looking directly into a mirror.

She reached out to touch her, but Ani moved away, glaring at her.

"What? Something wrong with me or something?"

"No, I…" Hiyumi wasn't sure what was going on. She had no idea how to retract her clones, they would dissipate eventually or when they took enough damage. She wasn't even sure if she needed to. "You're different from the others."

Ani scoffed at this and crossed her arms. "Yeah, isn't that a good thing? You wanna just be a normie or something?"

Hiyumi nearly choked as she tried to contain her laughter, covering her mouth. She laughed for a minute, not remembering the last time she had felt that way.

"Something funny about me?" Ani watched the girl with annoyance. Something clicked inside of her mind, fueled by the smallest spark of anger within herself.

Yuni 'remembered' the kids and adults alike who had laughed at her and treated her like dirt, even her parents, whose abusive words and taunts still echoed in her mind. The clone held her head in her hands, shaking her head.

"No… no! Shut up!"

Hiyumi was surprised at this outburst, looking at her Quirk creation. The girl began to shimmer blue, a familiar sight when one of her clones was ready to vanish— However, the light began to change, turning dark, and then to a crimson red hue.

"A-Ani..." Hiyumi reached out to her clone worriedly. "I'm sorry—"

That was the last thing the girl ever said. A splatter of blood painted the wall, and the once bright-eyed girl fell over to the ground, all life leaving her expression.

Ani looked down at her hands, trembling, the blood on them dripping through as her form began to shimmer and fade in and out.

_What have I done? I'm… Am I going to…._

She fell to her knees, feeling herself wavering in and out of existence. The feeling of sudden existence over and over truly drove her mad, as she sat there until late into the night, the puddle of blood beneath her finally settling as she managed to maintain her form at last.

The moonlight reflected off of the blood as Ani slowly stood up. She looked over at the cold body of her creator… And smiled.

She would never die. She couldn't. She wasn't a fragile being like her, but a powerful one.

A laugh echoed across the school that night, a cackle that made the lights across the building shimmer and fade in and out before finally bursting from the energy surge rippling through the place.

The next day, Hiyumi Hitaka attended school like normal.

She wasn't wearing a smile, not at all. She looked to others like they were trash, and barely acknowledged any of her peers. They didn't like this new side of her, and decided to start avoiding her completely.

But this was what she wanted— To be left alone to her own devices. That way, nobody could learn the truth of what she was.

It only took her a few days to create a perfect clone, one who was obedient and happy and oblivious. Soon she could create more and more, and when she was prepared, she knew what she had to do if she wanted to truly experience what being 'alive' had to offer.

She became a Hero, under the name 'Miss Negative', impressing many for the past couple of years with her Quirk and her agile nature.

It wasn't long until creating clones took its toll on her, however.

Miss Negative had nowhere to go. She would be discovered for what she was if she allowed anyone close to her. A Hero would surely lead to her doom, so then; What else?

The realization came to her one snowy night, and she found herself at a mysterious bar with a boy with ash hair and a hand of some kind attached to his face.

"We have a special task for you," the boy spoke with a wicked smile.

"With your help, we can destroy U.A."

* * *

Izuku blinked, his vision finally returning to him slowly. He looked around, seeing many blue, glowing shapes all around. Somehow, he had ended up falling onto his bum in the blinding confusion.

He wasn't able to recover slowly, because a strong hand grasped him and pulled him up to his feet.

"We're screwed unless we get out of here," Yuki said to him.

Izuku blinked up at him, before looking around to take it all in. The clones were now humanoid-shaped blazes of blue, crackling electricity. Their glow, however, was nothing compared to the red glow coming from the bleachers.

There, a brightly glowing shape sat where Miss Negative had been. But their glow was slowly becoming more and more dim. Mei was standing right in front of her.

"Hatsume!" Izuku's yell didn't seem to phase the girl.

"What's she doing?" Yuki looked around, and Izuku looked up at him questioningly.

"Can you not see her over there? Wait…" Izuku waved a hand near Yuki's face, not getting a reaction. "You still can't see?!"

Yuki sighed. "My eyes are way more sensitive to that sort of thing… I could only jump back and feel around for you. How's the situation?"

The glowing clones began to take slow steps towards them. Izuku gulped.

"...Bad. I don't think we can punch those things," Izuku commented.

"Damn… We just need to escape and get help, then everything will be alright," Yuki said. "I can run a distraction, and you and Hatsume can—"

"No way!" Izuku shook his head. "If you can't see, then I'm sticking with you!"

"If Hatsume's near that woman, then she should be your first priority!"

Izuku looked over at Mei, knowing Yuki was right, but not knowing what the clones might do if they made any sudden moves.

The two boys couldn't see it, but a single fell down Mei's cheek. However, it wasn't one of sadness, but one of joy, as a big smile rested on her face.

"This is… amazing… I'm so glad I get to see such a thing," Mei said softly.

Miss Negative was still conscious, but she felt like her body was out of reach, unable to control it at all. She gazed up at Mei, confusion washing over her.

It was all so… Familiar.

The woman remembered feeling the same confusion as she gazed at a clone, the one named Ani— No, she _is _Ani. How could she be seeing it from this point of view? How could she be feeling what the original Hiyumi felt?

She gasped. She could see the blood on the wall and the puddle of it clearly in her mind, feel the pain that the original had felt when she killed her.

The blue-glowing clones shimmered and screamed in pain and agony. Their forms were breaking up and becoming more volatile.

"That doesn't sound good," Yuki commented.

"What should we do?!" Izuku looked up at him expectantly.

Yuki closed his eyes in thought for a few moments, taking in the sounds all around himself to try and get a good picture of what was going on.

"Sorry, as your class rep, I shouldn't have let this happen to begin with," Yuki stated.

Suddenly, the much larger boy pushed Izuku away and ran towards where the Miss Positive clones were. Izuku stumbled and gasped, taking a step to go after him.

"Go to Hatsume, idiot!"

Izuku's eyes widened as Yuki yelled that back at him. Taking his words to heart, Izuku turned and ran towards where Mei was instead.

Mei wiped the tear trail from her cheek and shook her head. "You're going to fade away."

Miss Negative couldn't even respond to this. She knew it must be true, but at the same time, there was no way she would accept such a fate.

"Are you not the original? Did you... kill the original?"

The woman couldn't answer Mei's questions, but the pink-haired girl didn't really expect any regardless.

"Sorry, I guess I'm just always intrigued by things," Mei said with a chuckle. "Thank you for showing me something new… But you should really let go, ya know?"

"W-why?" This was all the woman could manage in her current state. In her eyes, the girl before her was fading in and out, being replaced by the haunting image of the original Hiyumi, with a big smile on her face, so full of life and happiness.

"Because I'm sure you've had it rough. Some rest will do you good, I've come to learn that," Mei responded, thinking about Izuku's constant nagging about how she should get more sleep instead of working all the time.

"You need your rest, Miss."

In the woman's mind, Hiyumi had said this to her, the gentle figure that had given her life and all the warmth and pain alike. It was like a final goodbye, like parting words she had longer for but could never receive.

This was when Miss Negative finally snapped. What little control she had was now shattered as she could only give in to the feeling of nothingness.

She became, truly, just a moving and unthinking Quirk.

"Hatsume!" Izuku arrived right on time, grabbing the girl and jumping to the side with her as spikes jutted out from the glowing humanoid form Miss Negative had fully changed into.

The form stood, the spikes returning into itself. It turned its head to the two, and slowly began to approach them.

Yuki, his eyesight barely returning to a blurry state, was unaware of anything going on. He managed to strike one of the clones, feeling an odd electrical sensation make his hair stand up as he made contact. But he was able to hit them, and that was all that mattered.

The boy had constantly trained his body to work in tandem with his Quirk, knowing that he cannot dodge attacks or hit targets perfectly with his Quirk unless he can physically manage it. While it applied to his support work, Yuki always readied himself in case he was needed for another calling, Hero work or otherwise.

_Slice! _The sensation of cutting made Yuki twist his body to try and avoid the oncoming attack as much as he could.

The clone he had attacked created a spike from itself, almost piercing his stomach if it weren't for his quick reflexes. It instead cut into his side, but nothing harrowing. The boy jumped back, feeling his wound with a hand and noting its severity, blinking his eyes several times.

_I can barely see them, and they've gotten more dangerous, _he thought. _I hope Izuku and Hatsume have the rest handled…_

Unfortunately, Izuku and Mei had nowhere to run. They were trapped in a corner, with none of their creations with them, and no real way of fighting off the powerful, red humanoid that was trudging their way.

Miss Negative and all of her clones were wavering, their forms changing from blocky to smooth to spiky, changing constantly as they approached their targets.

"Y-You don't have to do this! You're in control," Izuku shouted at the approaching figure. "I know you can beat this!"

"Well… Not really," Mei commented.

"Eh?!" Izuku looked to the girl, who was oddly, yet very fittingly over her character, calm.

"She's gone. It's just a leftover power that hasn't faded yet," Mei explained. "It's like… All Might perhaps? Well, that's my theory anyways."

Izuku thought about that. _Like All Might? What's she saying?_

There wasn't time to think about such things. It was time to take action, and Izuku focused his mind on one thing, the one thing that would make risking his life worth it at that moment.

_Protect Hatsume!_

He took a step forward, but Mei grabbed his arm to try and pull him back. Izuku didn't waver.

"Izuku! I thought I was the dangerous one," Mei said with a nervous chuckle. "Come on, we'll figure this out—"

Izuku gulped and took another step towards the oncoming threat. He looked back at Mei with a wavering smile, thinking about how glad he was to have met her, despite all of the danger that seemed to bring forth.

"M-Mei, you need to run," he said with a shaky voice. "I'll do what I can." Izuku didn't realize he had called her by her first name, something traditionally held to someone close to you, but it happened naturally, just as Mei had unconsciously said his earlier as well.

Mei blinked at the boy. He was afraid, that much was obvious, but he had changed so much over the past year that he was hardly recognizable to her. At some point, Izuku had grown beyond the boy who needed saving in that tunnel, and she had completely missed it.

"You're a genius!" Mei's sudden outburst surprised Izuku. "We do our best work when we wing it!"

Mei suddenly grabbed Izuku's arm and ran with him forward, straight towards the glowing figure, making him gasp.

"So let's gettem!"

Of course, it's a miracle the two survived the encounter. They had no hope of fighting their opponent but luckily, a single slip of paper slipped into the gymnasium from below the door being blocked by some of the rampaging clones. The paper moved at an irregular speed and pattern as it flew across the room and sliced through the head of the out of control Miss Negative.

The glowing figure let out a low groan and stumbled to the side. Izuku and Mei were shocked by this, but continued on, rushing past it towards Yuki.

"Yuki! Duck!"

As Izuku yelled out, Yuki ducked down, dodging an oncoming spiky arm from a clone. He winced at the pain in his side, before moving back. However, the clone jumped forward, following him to continue the attack—

The door to the gymnasium exploded open, sending several clones flying across the room. A swarm of hundreds of paper creations, from paper cranes to paper airplanes, flew into the room, slicing through the clones as the swarm made its way towards the students.

Yuki's eyesight had returned enough to dodge the next attack, but the pain in his side made him waver— Luckily, the paper swarm flew through and shredded the clone, saving him.

Izuku and Mei stopped near Yuki, watching the paper fly around at incredible speeds, confused.

"You guys alright? A little banged up maybe?"

The voice made them look towards the entrance. There, a tall slender man dawning a trench coat and trilby hat walked through, his slanted eyes looking around at the chaotic gym

"Paper Mache!" Izuku smiled, thankful to finally see some help arrive for them.

"Hmph, sorry for being late. There's some bad stuff going down with the Hero course," the man said with a sigh. "But this is what I've been looking into while I was here. I needed to lay low for a while and do some snooping."

Izuku remembered the note Paper Mache had left for him. At the end of the note, Paper Mache joked he wouldn't use it to spy on him.

He gasped.

"D-Did you spy on me too?!"

Paper Mache shrugged. "Good to keep tabs on people of interest, especially when a pair of scumbag parents approach me for help with their daughter that lives across the world…"

The red glowing form that was once Miss Negative stood back up and looked towards them. Paper Mache pointed at her.

"I was here for the murder of Hiyumi Hitaka," he stated. "As I suspected, it was by her own Quirk!"

Yuki and Izuku were surprised to hear this. They looked to Mei, who nodded to confirm it.

"Yup… It's kinda crazy," the girl said nonchalantly.

Paper Mache approached the enemy, and moved a hand in the air in circles, making the swarm of paper creations encircle the out of control Quirk, the edges of them slicing it all over in a tornado of paper moving incredibly quickly.

"You guys go get help, alright? I need some answers," he said to the three without looking their way. "So this might he a while."

Miss Negative let out an echoing yell, spikes erupting from her form, slashing through the paper creations and leaving shreds all over on the floor. Paper Mache clasped his hands together, and all of the paper scraps flew in and clamped hold of the Quirk creation, subduing it. As it struggle and ripped paper away, the scraps would come back and ensnare it yet again.

"Did I stutter?"

The three decided to entrust the man, heading for the entrance. Izuku and Mei helped Yuki along, but Izuku didn't stop looking at the scene until they had finally left the room.

_We'll be back soon, Paper Mache! I believe in you!_

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**Next Chapter: Polarity Pt. II**


	16. Polarity Pt II (USJ Arc)

_**A/N: Hope you enjoy another double chapter upload! Please drop a review to let me know how it's all going :) **_

**Chapter Fifteen - Polarity Pt. II**

* * *

After the three students had escaped, a sound emitted from the out of control Quirk, something that sounded similar to the cry of a whale that bellowed out, echoing through the halls.

Many around that wing of the school felt emotional turmoil brew within themselves, and many began to cry. They had no idea why it was happening, but something about the sound they had heard affected their emotional state.

A tear rolled down Paper Mache's cheek, but his eyes didn't falter as he stared at the being. He wiped it away and looked at the tear on his gloved hand.

"Your Quirks evolving it seems," the man said. "That's no good. I'm gonna need ya to talk before things get more hairy, capiche?"

The Quirk that was once Miss Negative was becoming so unstable, that its humanoid form was barely visible amongst the pulsating light and changing formations of energy.

"Tch, worthless local Heroes, making the American clean this stuff up," Paper Mache muttered as he opened his trenchcoat.

Within his coat were hundreds of sticky notes plastered inside. He held his hand out towards the being, his fingers shaping into a finger-gun, as he slowly began to approach it.

"Question #1– Did you kill Hiyumi Hikata?"

The glowing being lurched forward, as if ready to run and strike. Paper Mache pulled his pointer finger, like pulling the trigger of a gun, and sent three of the sticky notes flying out from his trenchcoat. They curled up and became thin, piercing right through the Quirk being, making it stagger as it left small holes in it.

"This ain't fun, c'mon now," the man said with a yawn. "You tellin me you're just gonna lose control and that's the end of your story? What kind of crap is that?"

Somewhere, deep inside the entity, someone heard his words. They had no idea who they were, no self identity or personal thoughts. All they could do was listen, and hear what was going on.

"I mean, I could keep ya til help comes, and then you'll be destroyed and that's that," Paper Mache said, still slowly approaching. "Or you could come out of your shell and own up to what you've done."

_What I've done…?_

The thought pinged inside of the being, and Miss Negative opened her eyes, finding herself in a void. Even though it appeared like a large space, the woman felt alone and confined.

_What did I do? I didn't do anything! _She moved her hands around, trying to find an escape. _I never deserved any of this, I—_

She gasped suddenly, looking down and watching a small hole appear in her chest.

On the outside, Paper Mache had fired another shot of paper and riddled another hole into the entity. His expression was growing darker, as he wondered if anything was getting through, or if he would really need to make the decision to subdue or destroy her right then and there.

_Help me! _Miss Negative opened her mouth to scream, but nothing came out. She clutched at her chest, feeling the pain but unable to express it. _I'm innocent! _

The thoughts of Hiyumi's parents crept up in her mind. The way they spoke to her and looked down upon her.

"_You're really worthless huh? I think the dirt in the garden has been getting more use than you!"_

"_Stop smiling! What do you have to smile about, you worthless piece of—"_

"_Why couldn't you just die or something? Save us the damn trouble of paying for your crap…"_

Miss Negative curled up into a ball, wanting to accept the darkness and just vanish, but something was holding her back.

_Why did I kill her? That's not who I am…_

She remembered how one strike of her hand had been strong enough to kill Hiyumi. It had so much emotion behind it, as if she had been storing her negative feelings for years and let it all out right then and there. But it was confusing to her— She had only existed for a few minutes, so those memories weren't really hers, right?

It wasn't her fault, that's what she had decided for so long, and became the driving force behind her being able to stay alive in the world without her creator.

Paper Mache stopped his approach for a moment, watching the way the entity seemed like it was confused. Its form was slowly becoming less volatile, focusing more on the humanoid shape.

"This is your last chance!"

As those words were heard, tears streamed down Miss Negative's face. Her cries and whimpers were silent in the void, and she could only accept that she would die there for what she had done.

_Mom… Dad… _

_Why do I wish I could see you right now?_

_I guess I'm still that happy little girl deep down inside…_

That's when she felt it. A warm hand touching her head. She looked around, unable to see anything there.

"It's alright, you've done alright," the man's voice spoke.

_Who is that… Who…_

Paper Mache had approached the being, removing his glove from his right hand and hesitantly patting its head. He felt his hair standing up on end, but was surprised that there was a physical form there to touch.

"You should use your last moments as yourself," he told her. "Not pretending to be what you're not. Otherwise, what the hell was your life for?"

Miss Negative blinked at this, reaching up towards her head, desperately wanting to feel someone's warmth again. Thinking back on it, she hadn't had any contact with others because she was afraid they'd discover her secret.

And now, at this moment, she felt regret that she had wasted such a precious life she had been given.

_This power, this is me… I shouldn't exist, but I do! So I…. _

Paper Mache took a step back, a bit surprised as he saw the glow of the entity begin to fade a bit, the energy bubbling and rippling as it receded inwards, before leaving the form of Miss Negative standing there, wobbly.

_I need to take responsibility!_

* * *

Class 1-H had stayed within the classroom after a majority vote to decide their next course of action after the kidnapping.

They weren't a part of the Hero class, they knew this, and it pained them, but they believed that their best action was to trust in those three and stay put til help arrived.

Just kidding.

While they did stay in the class, the students of 1-H had put their brains together to utilize anything they had.

Taka used his Quirk to rewind back to their robot creation competition. As people handed him pieces of various devices, he reconstructed the small drone-like bot he had created from his Quirk memory, though this new one was much more makeshift and awfully designed.

For the next step, the bespectacled boy wanted a phone to rig as the controls. Nobody would offer, feeling reluctant to give up their personal devices, but luckily Ken seemed to not care and handed it over.

Soon, they had a functioning robot with a camera delivering feed to the phone that was being used to control it. They all celebrated, keeping it quiet though just in case anyone bad was still around.

While Taka controlled the drone, Wakata and Risako watched the doorway, holding a bat and a metal rebar respectively. Risako was grinding her sharp teeth together in nervous anticipation, feeling like she really _really _wanted to get into a fight, but also hoping nothing bad would happen in case she couldn't save anyone.

"Nobody's around. The other classes look like they're locked up tight still," Taka commented, the phone screen reflecting off of his glasses in the dark classroom.

"If it's all clear, shouldn't we make a break for it?" The hammer-headed Tokoi Konoda looked around to see if anyone agreed.

"Hey, we took a vote, remember? Deal with it, loser," Risako said from the door, making Konoda scowl.

Ken sighed, looking bored as he sat at his desk, but beneath it his leg was shaking with anticipation. He truly felt helpless at that moment, and behind

"Ken! What are we going to do?!" The small figure of Shiro suddenly jumped up onto his desk, trembling and sniffling to fight back tears. "What will happen to Yuki? To Midoriya?... And Hatsume I guess."

"We're going to try and find them with the robot, bout it," Ken responded with a shrug.

Shiro growled and grabbed him by the collar. "As if that's good enough! We need to take action!"

Ken looked away from her, keeping his bored expression, which only served to make her more and more infuriated.

"You're right," Ken said, surprising her. "But it's not that we should be afraid of expulsion, but rather… We aren't suited to help them."

Shiro was taken aback by this. "W-What do you mean?"

Ken looked her in the eyes. "We're not heroes."

Shiro scowled and let go of him, hopping down and walking off in a huff of anger. Ken watched her go, returning to his own thoughts, remembering the events that had transpired.

_Something bad went down, and then we were attacked… But why?_

"Ah, I found someone!" Taka's yell made everyone run over to see what he saw. "Hey they're picking it up—"

When Ken arrived, he saw a black eye staring into the camera. The person moved it back, revealing themselves and their smile.

"Principal Nezu?!" The students all exclaimed at the same time.

"Oh my, what is this thing? Was this thing causing that commotion," the small animal-like Principal wondered aloud.

"Crap! Taka, you didn't put a microphone or anything in there," Shuzo said. "You idiot! We're just making things worse—"

Wakata reached over and pulled on Shuzo's goatee hard, making him gasp and wince in pain. The athletic girl then leaned in closer to the screen.

"It looks like he's near the Hero classrooms! We should send someone to him," she exclaimed.

"Didn't we vote on this? C'mon now," Shuzo retorted.

That was when three figures suddenly appeared in the doorway. The 1-H class had never acted so fast in their lives, springing into action to try and make up for what had happened before.

"WAIT—"

Izuku's yell barely came out in time, as Wakata and Risako barely stopped their weapons in time, and Shuzo jumped over the desk Taka was sitting at and grabbed Yuki's collar, ready to punch him. They all paused for a moment.

"You're okay!" Shiro ran out towards them, though more specifically Yuki, though she slid to a halt when she saw his injury. "Yuki! No!"

"It's not that bad, just shut up," Yuki said.

They helped Yuki over to a desk, sitting him on it. He undid his uniform, so they could examine the wound.

Miiko Ishimoto, who was usually very reserved, was quick to go into action. "Excuse me," she said gently, giving Yuki a smile as she began to tap her fingers along either side of the cut. Shiro watched her with resentment at her touching Yuki, until Ishimoto sat back and clasped her hands together.

Suddenly, the wound closed itself together, as if invisible stitches were placed within, the bleeding stopping. Everyone was surprised.

"My Invisible Threads Quirk will hold it together while we get real help," Ishimoto said warmly. "It should be fine as long as I'm around."

"Ah, thanks," Yuki said with a simple nod.

"Well, I'm glad this is all working out. Right Izuku?" Mei smirked and looked around, blinking as she saw that he was nowhere to be found. "Izuku?!"

"Hey, hold on," Shiro said, getting close to Mei, standing up on her tip-toes and squinting at her. "Since when were you on a first name basis with Midoriya hm?"

Mei looked down at the girl, then put a hand to her chin in thought.

"I guess I didn't even realize," Mei said. "He is my best friend I suppose."

Shiro gasped. "You— You probably want to go after Yuki too, huh? Well I won't let you!"

Mei watched in confusion as the small girl ran over and jumped onto Yuki. The boy grunted and tried to push her off, while Ishimoto watched on with her usual calm smile, making sure to keep the threads in tact.

"Crap, now the Principal is just confused about the drone! We made things worse," Shuzo commented.

"Be quiet! Someone just go to him," Taka demanded, and Wakata obliged and headed out, with

Izuku had already left, wanting to return to Paper Mache as soon as possible, having grabbed his backpack and the Flow. As he ran, he powered on and slipped on the device, attaching the tubes and making sure everything was ready.

_I'm coming! I'll show what I've got!_

* * *

Miss Negative fell forward, and Paper Mache caught her, gently kneeling down to rest her on the ground. Her body was heavily scarred now with red glowing marks all over, similar to when one of the clones would take damage.

The woman was shivering intensely, feeling a wave of cold washing over herself that she had never felt before.

"Hey hey, it's alright, you're back," Paper Mache said, not exactly sure how to comfort someone as it wasn't his forte. "Can you talk now?"

Miss Negative looked up at the man, nodding her head slowly. "Y-Yes…"

"Good, I'll make it quick. I need to know… Are you part of what's going on at USJ?"

The woman's eyes looked down sadly. She slowly nodded her head.

"Who are they? Whats their goal?"

"Villains… t-they want… All Might… I was supposed to attack the school, b-but I… began to fade," she shakenly explained.

"I see… I have no remorse for murderers or villains, but I can't exactly abandon you here… Ya got any regrets?"

She looked back up at him and weakly lifted a hand, which he took in his own, surprised by how cold it was. The warm touch was invigorating to the woman, who smiled softly.

"I wish I could have… proven my parents wrong," Miss Negative spoke softly. "But they were right… about me… being useless."

Paper Mache sighed. "Look, those two dirtbags don't know nothin'. If you became a scumbag it had nothing to do with them being right, just them being a bad influence."

"But…"

"No buts," the man said, letting go of her hand and standing up. "You made your choices, nobody's here to relieve you of your sins. You just gotta accept it and move on, right?"

The woman lowered her hand and nodded solemnly.

"I know."

"Good. I'll make sure your parents know everything, so they can rest easy, not that they deserve it though," Paper Mache said, stepping away and taking out a cigarette and lighting it. He took a drag and sighed, looking around. "This gym's got no sprinklers right? Don't really care either way I guess."

Miss Negative stared up at the ceiling, feeling the cold taking over herself. She could feel something cold and wet beneath her, enveloping her. She realized it was the feeling that Hiyumi had felt, lying in a puddle of her own blood.

_I'm sorry everyone… Hiyumi… I was such a bad friend…_

A tear fell down her cheek, and her body began to slowly unravel and disperse.

Paper Mache turned to her, watching as he took a drag of his cigarette. Despite his usual way of thinking, he felt bad for the girl, knowing she was as much a victim as she was a

"I hope you're a better person in the next life."

A deafening explosion sounded from behind Paper Mache. The fading Miss Negative turned her head slowly to look to him, her eyes widening in shock.

The cigarette fell from Paper Mache's mouth and he stumbled forwards a bit, looking down at the bullet hole that had appeared in his chest, blood seeping from it quickly. He turned slowly to look at his assailant that was behind him.

Then another shot occurred, and then another.

* * *

The sound of gunshots put Izuku on edge as he hid near the gymnasium doors, peering in, shocked by what he was seeing.

Paper Mache fell backwards, having been shot once in the back and two times in the chest, collapsing beside Miss Negative.

His attacker was someone who was abnormal to say the least— A tall person wearing a gray suit, with a metal device around their neck, and a head that seemed to he made up of a black, almost fiery substance. His yellow eyes glowed in the darkness as he lowered the gun in his hand and approached the two bodies.

"Looks like you didn't do much here," the void-like man spoke. "I even put in the effort to come get you after All Might defeated us."

_All Might…? If they're after him then…_ Izuku gulped, clenching his fists as he looked over to Paper Mache, who was on the ground unmoving.

"That's a shame. At least you will disappear and not be forced to face the League of Villain's wrath to come," he spoke.

The darkness seemed to seep out of him, creating a sort of void that began to envelope his body. Izuku took a step out into the open, ready to rush in and attack him-

However, something touched his foot. He looked down to see a crumpled up paper there, then looked over to Paper Mache. The man had turned himself to look at Izuku, shaking his head.

Izuku gritted his teeth, trembling as he felt like he needed to do something, while Paper Mache and his own instincts wanted him to wait.

He couldn't. After the events of today, Izuku didn't want to wait and be helpless any longer.

The boy rushed in, flicking his middle finger inwards to power his Flow, hearing the whirring sound. He released the finger, and air blasted from his boots, propelling him forward as he tried to attack the villain.

However, the villain turned his yellow eyes upon the oncoming Izuku, who was surprised to be noticed so quickly.

"I'm sorry, that was a costly mistake."

In an instant, Izuku has gone from a reckless confidence, to fear as he approached the ready villain, his eyes glazing over a bit as he retreated into his thoughts.

_Am I… gonna die?_

* * *

**To Be Continued…**

**Polarity Pt. III**


	17. Polarity Pt III (USJ Arc)

**Chapter Sixteen - Polarity Pt. III**

* * *

A small void portal appeared in front of Izuku. With his current momentum, there was no way to avoid it. It began to swallow up his extended arm, and his face was coming close to it as well.

_This is it— I can't—_

Suddenly, Paper Mache ran in, tackling Izuku and pushing him out of the void. The villain narrowed his eyes as he expanded the portal, which managed to capture Paper Mache's left arm as he fell away with Izuku.

There was a slicing noise, but no blood, as the portal suddenly enclosed. Izuku's eyes widened as he saw that Paper Mache's arm had been sliced clean off. However, it burst into hundreds of paper folds, revealing it was never there all along.

"Hmph, I'm surprised you can still move," the void villain spoke as he watched the two move away.

Paper Mache was panting hard and losing blood fast from his chest wound, but his expression never wavered.

"After the first shot, it was easy to block the other two," he said, spitting out some blood. The two bullet holes in the front of his coat didn't seem to have any blood emerging from them. "But damn that arm took a lotta effort to keep in tact… Lost that baby years ago…"

"P-P-Paper Mache—!" Izuku saw the man's increasing blood loss, his mind going blank as he had never seen anything like that before.

Paper Mache looked down at him, sweating profusely. He smirked.

"This ain't nothin for a Hero."

The void villain sighed, producing the gun he had used earlier in the sneak attack on Paper Mache. He raised it, and Paper Mache readied his good hand, making the paper from his fake arm form in front of himself and Izuku in preparation. For a moment, they stood there with a tense atmosphere ready to snap at any moment.

"Midoriyaaaa!" The familiar voice of Shiro called out from the hall. The sound of many footsteps could be heard coming towards the gymnasium.

"Unfortunately, I must make a quick exit. I hope you enjoy your time at the prestigious U.A, young one," the villain spoke, making the gun vanish.

"Hey! Y-You're not going anywhere!" Izuku watched as the villain began to slink back into a portal once more. He wanted to move, but Paper Mache was held onto him tightly. "Let me go—"

"Kid, you haven't learned a thing have ya," Paper Mache spoke with a raspy voice. "Don't rush into fights… that ya can't win."

Izuku tried to push him off, but he quickly gave up as he saw the expression on the man's face. It was a look of content, from a person who might be facing their final moments and was okay with their time being now. It was confusing to Izuku, who felt like he needed to continue to fight, yet here was Paper Mache, holding him back and accepting what was happening.

_But why? We should fight on til the end! I— _Izuku closed his eyes, fighting off tears as he slowly realized that Paper Mache must believe the fight was over, and that they had lost, anymore loss was meaningless.

The two watched as the void villain vanished into the dark mist, which then dissipated into thin air. Behind him, the remnants of Miss Negative had finally evaporated into gentle red embers, which fluttered away into the air before sizzling out.

When Mei and a few of the other students arrived, they were shocked to see Izuku kneeling down beside Paper Mache.

"Come on, you can pull through for sure!" Izuku shook his head, tears welling up in his eyes. "You're the coolest Hero I know!"

"Damn that's the first time I've heard that," Paper Mache said with a small chuckle, which turned into pain coughs. "Most people say I'm annoying… or I'm an asshole. I guess you're just... an oblivious kid anyways."

Izuku cried and clenched his fists, feeling the powerlessness washing over him yet again, unable to do anything for someone right in front of him.

"C'mon kid…"

Izuku wiped tears away and looked down at the man again, who gave a weak but confident smirk, his eyes glazing over and becoming unfocused.

"I meant it in the letter… You're gonna go far, kid. Don't let… nobody tell you anything... otherwise…"

The man coughed and wheezed, taking his final breaths, and a few moments later— He was gone.

* * *

It was a few minutes after Paper Mache's death that the Principle and what Heroes were around finally arrived on the scene.

"This entire wing of the school will be blocked off," the Principal ordered to some of the Heroes. "Only the ones here right now are allowed in."

"The Principal really has a lot of authority with other Heroes, guess he gets a lot of respect," Mei commented, looking over at Izuku, who didn't seem to notice she spoke, his eyes downcast. She continued anyways with, "I wonder if the Principal has some sort of hidden strength we don't know about!"

Izuku said nothing. They had been checked out for injuries and cleared already, and Paper Mache's body had been covered and wheeled off. They were waiting for someone to come question them, and were surprised to find out who it was.

"Midoriya! Hatsume!" The voice that yelled their names made them jump in surprise.

The two nervously looked over to see Power Loader approaching them, a sort of sinister feel to him that was birthed from anger.

"You both have so much explaining to do," their teacher spoke through gritted teeth. "I can't believe that you'd go out of your way to do dangerous stuff-"

"It wasn't like that! We were—"

The Principal scooted in, waving a paw in the air. "No need to explain! We know what went on here, and would like for you both to stay quiet about it!"

"Eh? You know everything?" Mei smiled. "You really are resourceful Principal!"

The mouse-bear-dog-like man smiled a bit. "Of course I am! Consider this repayment for your previous misgivings with All Might!"

"But I already completed the devices for 1-A—"

"That's fine! Just make sure your teacher tests them first so you don't kill a student," Nezu told her with a nod. He then looked over to Izuku, who had returned to looking down at the ground. "Midoriya, I will need you to come to my office!"

Izuku nodded and stood. Mei waved a hand obnoxiously in the air.

"I can go too! Right? Right?"

Power Loader put a hand on her shoulder hard, making her stop. "Nope, you'll come back to

class to get lectures with everyone else."

Mei whined the whole time as Power Loader escorted her away.

"He seems like he's being tough on you all, but he cares deeply for his students," Principal Nezu commented as they watched them go. "Power Loader is a big softie underneath it all."

This insight made Izuku feel slightly better, but a few things still ran through his mind on the way to the Principal's Office.

He thought about the strange guidance Paper Mache had been giving him. The fact that someone had already believed in him and his journey to becoming a Hero was all Izuku could have ever wanted. Not even his mother had fully believed in his aspirations after he was deemed Quirkless. Mei and Paper Mache were his first fans in his eyes, the first two people who _knew_ he could do it.

_Mei?... Hatsume…? _Izuku found himself getting a bit flustered as he entered the Principal's office. _Did I call her Mei?! _His face reddened with embarrassment.

"You seem to be in better spirits already," a new voice said.

Izuku looked up, surprised to see an unfamiliar man with short black hair, looking very professional in a tan overcoat and matching hat with a suit underneath.

"Hello Midoriya, I am Detective Tsukauchi," the man spoke. "Please, have a seat."

Izuku nervously went and sat across from the Principal at his desk, while the detective stood nearby, looking inside of a folder marked 'Top Secret'.

"I'd just like to ask you if you garnered any information from the late Miss Negative," Detective Tsukauchi asked.

_Information on Miss Negative?_ Izuku mulled through the hazy thoughts of the day for a moment.

"She apparently worked with a group called… 'The League of Villains'?"

This seemed to strike a chord with the Principal and the Detective, who eyed each other and nodded a bit.

"We figured as much, but did she mention their plans or any other members? Details always help," Tsukauchi pressed.

"I don't know too much, I…" Izuku trailed off and shook his head. "I'm sure Paper Mache knew more…"

Detective Tsukauchi sighed and pat the boy's shoulder, before walking to the door.

"Thank you both, I need to go back to the investigation—"

"W-Wait! The person who killed Paper Mache… He was wearing a suit, he had a metal collar of sorts… Um…" Izuku thought about it and motioned with his hands for emphasis. "There was this black fog or something covering his body a-and he could make portals or something…"

"Hm, and he was able to freely teleport into the school? That's quite troubling," the Detective said, nodding and tipping his hat to Izuku. "Thank you, if anything comes up I might come to ask more questions."

With that, the man left. Izuku sighed and turned back to the Principal, only to jump in surprise as he saw that the animal-like person was standing on the desk, leaning down to look closely at him.

"Trouble seems to follow you, Midoriya," Principal Nezu said, "Will this sort of stuff be a regular habit of yours?"

"S-Sorry…" Izuku looked away, feeling uncomfortable under the Principal's gaze. "I'm not trying to…"

"It's that natural intrigue and sense of wonder that makes you a great fit for the Support course though," the Principal stated. "But I can also see how it is leading you to what you really want— The Hero course." This made Izuku perk up and look at him. "It's quite possible you can make it, want to know how?"

Izuku nodded intensely. "I-I already had sort of an idea," he commented. "About showing my stuff at the Sports Festival."

Principal Nezu nodded. "That is the best place for sure! Especially now that there's an open slot in Class 1-A!"

Izuku blinked at this revelation. "There is…? How? D-Did someone get kicked out?" The image of Bakugo flashed in Izuku's mind.

The Principal hopped down into his seat, sighing and entwining his fingers in front of himself.

"Class 1-A was attacked today during a simulation, by villains," he began to explain. "I believe you know Katsuki Bakugo, so I figured I should tell you he's fine."

He let out a sigh of relief at hearing that. The thought of villains attacking was still frightening, but he wasn't sure how he'd react if he knew his friend had gotten hurt.

"However, someone _did_ get hurt," Principal Nezu continued, "They're in critical care and will likely be unable to return. All Might has suffered a bit as well."

"All Might?! I mean— I'm sorry," Izuku exclaimed but quickly covered his mouth and shook his head.

The Principal snickered. "It's okay to prioritize. They should both be okay, but they were targeting All Might. And now, Midoriya, one of the villains has seen your face and might know more about you than you'd think."

Izuku gulped, remembering his encounter with the villain in the gym, and how Shiro had called out his name, meaning he very well could know his name.

"Thus you need to take care, we'll be watching you closer to protect you," Principal Nezu said, swiveling away in his chair to look out the window. "That's all for now, you can go back to class."

As the Principal waves a paw, Izuku stood and bowed respectfully, before turning to leave.

"Oh, and Midoriya, that villain with the black fog"

Izuku looked back, his hand on the door.

"His name is Kurogiri. According to what we know, he uses the fog to hide his true body, but always has one body part showing. Perhaps you will face him one day, so keep that in mind."

As Izuku closed the door, he gathered all of his thoughts.

_Why would he tell me that? Does that mean… Principal Nezu thinks I can become a Hero too?!_

He thought about the attack on the Hero class and Class 1-H, and the ramifications of both of those events. Everything had changed; they knew that there was a threat out there willing to even infiltrate the school to get to them.

_I need to train even harder, so I can become a Hero and fight alongside Kacchan!_

* * *

Tracking down Bakugo after school that day proved to be a bit difficult. There was security and Heroes everywhere now, watching out for danger, and Izuku hadn't seen a single Hero class student for a while.

That is, until someone he recognized finally exited the school gates. He was a tall and broad-shouldered boy with dark hair and glasses, and unique engine-pieces of sorts jutting out from the back of his legs.

"Ah, e-excuse me."

Izuku jogged up to the boy, who stopped and looked down to him. His serious expression threw him off as he stammered for a second.

"S-Sorry, I um, you're in Class 1-A right?" Izuku gulped before continuing. "With Katsuki Bakugo?"

"Right, I am Tenya Iida, class representative," the boy responded formally, holding up a hand. "And who might you be?"

Izuku dipped his head politely, surprised by how overly formal Iida was. "I-I'm Izuku Midoriya, I'm in Class 1-H, the support class—"

Suddenly, Iida grabbed Izuku's hand and shook it intensely, surprising him.

"The Support Class! It is great to meet someone who we will likely be working closely with in the future!"

"A-Ah, yes! I um—" Izuku panicked a bit, but let out a sigh of relief as Iida let go of his hand. "I know something bad happened, but do you know where Kacchan— I mean, Bakugo is?"

Iida looked back towards the school. "It was a rough day, most of the students are being looked at for injuries or talking to the investigators. But I'm not sure about Bakugo."

Izuku nodded. "I see… Well, sorry to trouble y—"

An explosion rang out, making Izuku freeze. He turned and saw a horrifying scene— Bakugo was flying towards him at an alarming speed, using his hands to make explosions to propel himself faster and faster.

"Deeeeekkuuuuuu!"

The voice was full of intense anger. Izuku quickly moved out of the way, behind Iida, as Bakugo flew past and skidded to a halt, making the ground smoke from how quick he had to stop himself.

"You damned nerd, why are you wearing that uniform huh? Playing dress-up," Bakugo said, pointing an accusing finger at Izuku.

"Actually Bakugo, this is Midoriya from Class 1-H, the Support class, one of the people we should try to—"

As Iida went on and on about Izuku, the boy tried desperately to stop him from talking, as Bakugo's eyes went from confused to extremely angry as the explanation went on.

"—so threatening them does not seem like a wise idea," Iida finished.

Bakugo lifted a hand, cracking his fingers and causing explosions on it.

"So you did it huh, came to steal my thunder, you Quirkless piece of—"

"Hey! Is everything alright over there?"

A few police and Heroes had come close by after hearing the commotion and the explosions. Izuku looked around nervously at them, knowing they must be heavily on-guard due to the day's events.

"Tch, too much heat," Bakugo muttered, lowering his hand. "You'll get your ass kicked soon enough."

With that, Bakugo turned and started to storm off.

"Kacchan," Izuku called after him. "I-I'm glad you're alright!"

Bakugo scowled. As he passed by a pro Hero, he turned to them and yelled, "The hell you lookin' at?!"

Izuku watched him go, and sighed. Iida pushed up on his glasses and nodded, as if the encounter confirmed something to him.

"It's nice to see Bakugo has friends like you," Iida commented. "It's proof he'll come around to work with everyone!"

Izuku looked up to Iida, who had a smile on his stern face. He smiled as well, seeing why such a person had become their class representative.

"Iida… I'm actually looking to enter the Hero course," Izuku admitted, "So one day I might be under your guidance— No, I will!" He bowed to the boy. "Please watch over me!"

Iida nodded and patted Izuku on the shoulder. "I hope to see you succeed then, Midoriya!"

With that, Izuku left the school, trying to ignore the officers assigned to watch over him from afar. Once home, he had to explain a lot to his Mother, but left out enough so she wouldn't be too worried.

Once in his room, Izuku sighed and sat at his desk. He pulled out the letter that Paper Mache had sent to him weeks ago, opening it up and solemnly reading it over—

It was different. Izuku blinked at the new words that were on the paper:

_Maybe this'll work, I dunno. If you can see this, then I guess I'm dead or somethin'. Pretty neat huh? I can make secret messages that only go away when I deactivate my Quirk, and it stays forever! Well, unless I'm gone._

_So if that's the case, then I need ya to do something for me—_

Izuku continued to read, and then he read it over again and again, before finally setting it down and taking a deep breath.

_I'm not sure how to do that, but… If he really wanted me to, then I will,_ Izuku thought as he took the letter, folding it up several times over before ripping it up until it was many tiny scraps. He found a small container to put them in and set it in a pocket of his backpack for later.

While he was there, he examined his Flow unit. He thought about how fast Bakugo had approached him, wondering if he could've done something.

_I hesitated, but even then, the way I use the Flow might be too slow, _Izuku thought to himself. _I'll have to work on this, and more things if I really want to reach my goal!_

"Izukuuu! Dinner!"

He set the device back in and smiled, his eyes tearing up a bit.

_I've got plenty of people who believe in me now, I know I can become a Hero!_

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Declaration of War **


	18. Declaration of War

**Chapter Seventeen - Declaration of War**

* * *

The rest of the week was plagued by intense media attention following the assault on USJ. However, the public was not made aware of the incident within the main U.A school building, only that the Hero from the USA, known as Paper Mache, had perished while on Hero duty.

Many questioned the ability of U.A and its Hero staff, who allowed a student to be injured under their watch.

"We've received word that the student, Ameyoshi Shirui of Class 1-A, is expected to make a slow but full recovery," the news reported on TV said, "The girl expresses no regrets after a bad facial injury that will likely remove her from classes for the year, stating that she would help her classmates again if she had to—"

_Click_. The TV turned off and Izuku lowered the remote, setting it on the table. He sat there in contemplation, gazing down at his hands.

_So many more eyes are going to be on the school now,_ Izuku thought. _This is great for me to try and join the Hero class, but… I also feel way more nervous now!_

Over the following days, Izuku had completed the devices for Class 1-B on time, with the help of his friends, despite the Principal insisting that he didn't have to. It felt good to have the students appreciate the creations, but he made sure to tell them he couldn't have done it alone.

Soon after, Mei had pointed out that Izuku could regret that later when they face them in the Sports Festival, but Izuku had waved that thought away.

"We're in the Support class, we should never regret helping the Heroes," Izuku had retorted.

Izuku desperately wanted to go see All Might, knowing he had been injured during the assault, but he figured the Hero would have a lot going on and might not have the time. Thus he focused more on improving his abilities, so he could show All Might in the near future.

The experience of making the devices for 1-B had also given Izuku more ideas. During his spare time, he was often reading and studying things such as electrical engineering and circuitry so he could make better and more efficient equipment.

_If I have to face off against people with Quirks, then I should be as reliable as someone with a Quirk!_

The work drained Izuku unfortunately, who kept nodding off in class for a few days before finally getting a lecture from Power Loader to not kill himself with work. Mei, naturally, laughed at how the tides had turned, making sure to tell Izuku to get enough sleep.

Whenever Izuku had a moment, he approached the burner that they used to melt down scrap metals in the workshop. He took out the small container with the scraps from the Paper Mache letter, looking at it for a moment, before opening it and pouring the paper inside, watching the scraps get incinerated in a second.

The letter had made it clear that the letter should be destroyed once the information had reached Izuku. Thus he finally figured out the best place to dispose of it without a trace.

Izuku put his hands together and did a quick bow towards the machine, as a quick farewell to the man's legacy before returning to the others for their Support lesson.

At the end of the week, when the wounds inflicted on U.A were still healing, Power Loader surprised the students with an announcement.

"The U.A Sports Festival is set to go down as usual in two weeks time," their teacher explained.

"What? Even though villains _just_ attacked us?! That's crazy," Shiro exclaimed.

Power Loader shrugged. "Apparently it's to show that we've got it all under control. Either way, this is good news for us in the Support class, because the festival is primetime for showing what we can do. Now, does anyone not know of the Sports Festival?"

A couple of hands were raised. Izuku knew all about the event, having watched it for many years, dreaming of the day that he too could enter. Mei as well had been preparing for the time when she could show all of the investors just what she's capable of.

"There will be a series of events between all the classes: Support, Hero, Business, and General Studies," Power Loader began to explain, "You won't know the events until the day of, so you must be prepared for anything. That being said, you can bring devices you've created, as long as you get them approved beforehand— Yuki?"

Yuki stood as his raised hand was acknowledged. "From what I understand, the Hero classes usually take all of the glory in the festival," he stated. "How are we meant to change that this year?"

Power Loader smirked slightly. "Normally I might not care as much, besides getting more funding by us doing good… But this year's a bit different."

Their teacher pointed towards Izuku, who blinked and looked around, confused. Everyone turned to look at him.

"Midoriya, you really want to join the Hero class, right?"

Izuku gulped and nodded slowly, feeling uneasy under everyone's gaze. He could see Mei snickering to his right at his embarrassment.

"Is there anyone here who thinks Midoriya can't do it? This is your time to speak up," Power Loader asked, looking out at his students.

Nobody objected, to Izuku's surprise. He looked around at his peers, everyone seeming content and not worried at all. This made him smile a bit.

"Well, then I have a task for you all, to help Midoriya achieve his goal," Power Loader continued. "How many of you felt hopeless and powerless when the class got attacked? Do you think you all took heroic steps towards stopping them?"

An air of discomfort filled the air. Everyone looked away, feeling a burning shame as they remembered the events that had transpired.

Izuku was surprised by their reaction, but he quickly understood. He had felt powerless during the encounter, but the others must've felt even worse, unable to help their classmates when they really needed it.

Power Loader nodded at the awkwardness, his theory being confirmed.

"You aren't in the Hero class, you're destined for greatness in another way," he told them. "I can see the potential you all have… But Midoriya wishes to reach his greatness via the Hero course, so aren't we obliged, as the Support course, to help him?"

Mei shot up out of her seat and raised a fist. "Of course! I believe in Izuku!"

More chimes of support echoed out from the others, getting Izuku more and more flustered. Power Loader chuckled and pointed towards Izuku.

"You hear that, Midoriya? Don't let us down, you'll become the living proof that Class 1-H is the greatest!"

* * *

The pressure was on now, and Izuku felt both happy and frightened by what the support of his classmates would bring to him.

_This will really be it then… If I fail them at the Sports Festival, then I could never become a Hero!_

When leaving class at the end of the day, Izuku noticed a commotion coming from a big crowd standing in front of the Class 1-A doorway. Curious, he headed over and tried to look through the many heads to see what was happening.

_Kacchan!_

There, standing in the doorway, was Bakugo, looking sternly at a tall boy with wild purple hair at the front of the group.

"There's quite a number of people enrolled into General Studies and other courses because they didn't make it into the Hero course, did you know that?"

Bakugo scowled a bit as the boy in front of him spoke.

"The school has left those of us a chance— Depending on the results of the sports festival, they'll consider our transfer into the Hero Course," the boy continued.

_A-Are all of these students here for that same reason then? _Izuku looked at the expressions on everyone's faces, gulping. _I didn't even consider that I wasn't the only one…_

"...And it seems they may even transfer people out."

This made the students of 1-A tense up, except for Bakugo of course who didn't yield.

"Scouting out the enemy? Hm… I, at least, came to say that even if you're in the Hero course, if you get too carried away, I'll sweep your feet out from under you—"

"This is a declaration of war."

_So bold! _Izuku was just as surprised as the students of 1-A appeared by this. For a moment, Bakugo and the boy stared each other down.

"Hey hey—!" A familiar loud and obtrusive voice sounded out, and Izuku turned to see Tetsutetsu approaching the crowd. He saw Izuku and stopped. "Oh! Midoriya! I never got to give my regards for the punching enhancers! Thanks!"

The boy's loud obnoxious voice made everyone turn and look their way. Bakugo spotted him, his expression turning sour, as Izuku gasped and began to panic a bit.

"Even a Support student has eyes for the Hero class?" The boy eyed Izuku, his calm demeanor very overwhelming.

"How could you—"

"I can tell by the messy uniform. You guys certainly work harder than the Hero students, I'd say," the boy commented.

Tetsutetsu and Bakugo both got pissed off by that comment. Izuku wasn't sure what to do, now caught in the ire of several people.

_I-I've gotta stop wandering into where I don't belong-_

Izuku stopped that thought, surprised by it. He looked down at his uniform, noticing some of the scuffs from the work they had been doing in Support class.

_Where I don't belong? But isn't this what I wanted? To be right here?_

Looking back up, he saw that Bakugo and Tetsutetsu were now exchanging heated words, while everyone else watched on awkwardly.

"So this is the Hero class, the stars of the school," the purple-haired boy spoke in a melancholic tone, shaking his head. "Truly a disappointment."

Izuku knew what he had to do. _This_ was where he wanted to be, in the midst of this conflict. He needed to show that he could play in their league, that he was somebody to look out for.

Taking a deep breath, Izuku began his rebuttal.

"Actually, I think the Hero classes are amazing."

Hearing this, Bakugo and Tetsutetsu stopped to look at him quizzically, while the purple haired boy eyed him.

Izuku clenched his fists tightly to fight the nerves of so many unfamiliar eyes on him before continuing, "They made it when many others couldn't. They really are the best of us, but that doesn't mean everyone else is worthless!"

"Hey, nerd, shut the hell up! It definitely means everyone else is trash," Bakugo shouted.

Izuku gulped and tried not to waiver. "I-I will get into the Hero class, I believe it... But I would never talk badly about the ones already there!"

This caused some discussion amongst the crowd. Bakugo scoffed and began to push his way through the crowd, who eventually parted for him because of his intense aura of anger. Izuku let out a sigh of relief, thankful Bakugo had spared him anymore retorts.

Tetsutetsu's hand slammed down onto Izuku's shoulder hard, making him jump a bit.

"Well said! But though you respect them, we won't lose to 1-A ever! We'll give em' hell," Tetsutetsu exclaimed, giving Izuku a thumbs up before trudging away seemingly in anger as well.

_I can never tell if he's angry or not…_

"Bold words, but can you actually put them into action?"

Izuku turned to see the boy who had declared war on the Hero classes gazing down at him with his uninterested expression.

"I-I do, I have to," Izuku replied. "Everyone's counting on me."

"Hm…" The boy eyed Izuku for a moment, before walking past him. As he passed, his parting words lingered in Izuku's ear:

"The name's Shinso. I hope you keep that same energy in the festival, Midoriya."

Something made Izuku not want to respond. There was a mysterious aura about Shinso that made his hair stand up, whether it was his unreadable expression or something else…

Then something clicked.

_He knew my name already?!_

* * *

Two weeks. This was all the time they had to prepare for the U.A Sports Festival.

Izuku had always kept up with a physical training regime after school, often doing exercises and running for at least an hour once he got home. However, that was only half the battle he'd have to face, so he knew he needed to train his mind even harder.

Mei was busy with her own preparations, locking herself in the school's or her own workshop every day after school to ready her inventions. Izuku understood this, deciding to really challenge himself to come up with solutions to his problems by himself.

Problem #1: Overcoming his own shortcomings.

Without a Quirk, Izuku had no real advantage over anyone else. If there was an event that required speed, strength, or agility, he would he outclassed by many. Since it _was _a Sports Festival, those kinds of events were basically guaranteed.

His solution could've been easy— Upgrading his Flow would help his speed and maneuverability, but what if it got banged up or completely destroyed?

Izuku jotted down many ideas before coming up with a satisfactory workaround.

Problem #2: Working with others.

From watching the festival for years, Izuku recalled there were sometimes events requiring teamwork. If a team couldn't work together, they'd fall into shambles and fail quickly.

Izuku needed to prove his worth, and the only way to do that was to place highly in the Sports Festival, but he could start by showing everyone he can also work in a team setting.

_That's it! Yeah… that'll work!_

He jotted down several ideas and concepts into his journal before nodding to himself triumphantly.

Problem #3: Facing powerful Quirks.

Izuku knew that facing off against Bakugo was basically guaranteed, whether early on or later. He believed his childhood friend could easily take the entire festival by storm, and crushing Izuku would he high on the boy's agenda.

_But it's not just Kacchan… There's others I need to worry about!_

A flash of Shinso popped up in Izuku's head. He shook the image away.

_Quirks really are amazing, so I need to be ready for everything! _

As he jotted notes regarding different types of Quirks and their counters, his eyes slowly began to waiver from tiredness. Finally, he was forced to set his pencil down and stretch, letting out a big yawn.

_I've got a lot of work to do, _he thought as he stood from his desk chair, turning the lamp off.

_Everyone…. I'll show you what I've got!_

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Harder Work and Cooler Babies**


	19. Harder Work and Cooler Babies

_**A/N: Whoops, I keep forgetting to upload, so here's a double chapter upload! Please Read, Review, and Enjoy! **_

**_Chapter Ei_ghteen; Harder Work and Cooler Babies**

* * *

While Izuku was busy with physical exercise mixed with brainstorming, Mei studied the blade.

Well, a high-powered plasma cutter, that is. A device that made it easy to cut and form metal to how she pleased. Though powering it ran up the electricity bill of her workshop, she didn't pay it much mind since her parents didn't seem to question it.

After spending an entire weekend, Mei had completed the first couple of devices she was planning on utilizing in the festival.

"My super cool babies are gonna steal the show! Izuku will be so jealous," Mei exclaimed to herself as she grinned wickedly at her creations.

As if on cue, the door to the workshop opened. As light poured in, Mei was practically blinded from the lack of natural light from the days of work, only able to see the silhouette of the person entering.

"Ah, Mei, you're in here after all," came the voice of Izuku, who promptly closed the door to block out the waning sunlight. "Have you made a lot of progress?"

"Of course I have! I'll have so many babies that it'll make me shine brighter than any Hero!"

"Maybe word your statements about babies better.." Izuku chuckled a bit. "But what was it you wanted me here for?"

"Oh! Right!" Mei smiled and began to rummage through the work desk, producing a thin vial of a black substance. "Here, check it out!"

Izuku took the vial, gazing at it. He tilted it a bit, noticing how viscous it was, barely moving within the vial as it seemed like it was—

"Sludge? Is this…?"

Mei nodded intensely. "I took some of that sludge villain before, and I've been able to recreate his makeup a bit. It's amazing stuff!"

"E-Eh? Is it safe?" Izuku nervously held the vial in both his hands.

"Of course it is!" Mei laughed. "I made sure to kill any traces of life in it."

"K-Kill?!"

"Not like that! It seems like when the sludge guy loses a piece, that piece tries to get back to him," Mei explained, taking the vial back. "It took a while but I managed to make it stop... Or maybe he died? I dunno."

Izuku sighed. "Well… What does that have to do with me?"

Mei chuckled and held up a finger. "I worked on it for you!"

"For me?"

"Mhm! This baby is perfect for what you want to accomplish!"

Mei grabbed a spherical device the size of her palm, placing the vial into a slot in it. The liquid was drained from the glass container, which she then removed, handing Izuku the device.

"Here, this is a bomb that'll send the stuff all around it!"

Izuku was a bit nervous handling something that Mei straight up called a 'bomb', but he took it and looked at it, noticing a single button on one side.

"Now here's the kicker— That stuff is highly resistant to electricity and heat," Mei began to explain as she rummaged through the desk drawers again. "It's been able to resist EMP's and explosions easily!"

"Electricity and heat… Explosions?" Izuku's eyes widened a bit in realization.

Mei turned to him again, with three more vials in each hand. She smirked as she saw the look on his face.

"Yup! This is your answer to that explosion guy!"

"A-Are you sure this'll—"

"Ehh, you'd doubt me after all this time?"

"N-No never! I just…" Izuku trailed off a bit. "How do you know it'd work on him?"

Mei sighed and pointed to her eyes. "I'm always watching and studying things I need to research, so I've found some interesting stuff on that guy."

"On Kacchan? Like what?"

"Well, it seems like his sweat causes the explosions, or it's made of explosive material," Mei said, before tapping the device in Izuku's hand. "Soo if this stuff gets on him, he shouldn't be able to go _kaboom_!"

_That's amazing, Mei managed to do this without knowing Kacchan as long as I have,_ Izuku thought. Gazing down at the device in his hands, a thought occurred to him.

"W-Wait, why go through all that trouble for me…?"

"Hmm well, you _are _my best friend, Izuku," Mei said simply. "Even if Power Loader-sensei didn't tell us to, I would've helped you any way I could!"

Izuku has to turn away a bit to hide his blush. He felt awful that he had even asked, because he, too, felt the same way as she did.

The past year had changed Izuku's life in a way he never thought possible. Thanks to Mei, he was able to discover a new passion and a new way to become a Hero that nobody ever even hinted at before. And now Izuku was attending his dream school, and had already experienced a piece of what it was like to be the Hero he wants to become. None of that was possible without the energetic and helpful Mei.

"Mei… Thank you," Izuku said softly.

Mei smiled and held out a fist to him. He looked at her and returned the smile, bumping it with his own fist, much like they had done before.

"You can always count on me, Izuku!"

* * *

Izuku's work never stopped during that last week before the Sports Festival.

Power Loader had allowed them free reign during the latter half of the school days, replacing the Support lessons with unlimited workshop access.

Everyone had their own plans and aspirations for how they might be able to stand out, some working together to make it happen.

One example was an unlikely duo in the smaller workshop near the 1-H classroom.

"Ah, what the hell— This stuff's really complicated! Explain things better," Risako barked angrily, her sharp teeth grinding together in frustration.

Taka pushed up on his glasses. "It's really simple if you just try it."

Risako scowled and watched him work his magic on the laptop in front of them, as he tried to teach the girl the art of programming, without any prior knowledge.

A few others were utilizing that workshop, including Shiro and Ken who were working on something that could help the small statured Shiro possibly survive the Sports Festival.

"Ah, how does that design look? It seems super cute too," Shiro asked, showing the boy what she had cooked up.

Ken blinked at the picture. "It looks unpractical."

Shiro scowled. "Ken… You're so uncool…"

"I don't really try to be," Ken retorted as he receded the screwdriver he made back into his skin, then produced a flashlight from his forehead and a pair of pliers from his hand, leaning in close to the device before him.

All the meanwhile, Izuku sat in the back, putting the finishing touches on something he felt may be his most important new creation.

Taking into account the mobility he would need to truly stand out, Izuku had created a special device that would react to his voice commands. While that wasn't always practical, it was the easiest way to implement it with his limited timeframe.

The main part of the device sat at his hips like a belt, and extended downwards into two metal rods that got thinner at the end, stopping before his ankles. Thanks to help from Taka and Shuzo, he was able to get voice commands that only worked with his own voice, without having to shout.

When given a command, such as "Stop left", the device would fire the left rod into the ground with intense force, enough to break into most surfaces, allowing Izuku to quickly pivot to his left to avoid something with ease.

Another prompt would be "Fire Left" that would eject the left rod with enough force to give him a propulsion forward or to his right. This not only gave him more options to move, but ejecting the rod could even be used as an offensive option as well.

For further example, during testing earlier that day, Izuku had worn his Flow unit as well as this new device, which he deemed the "Drift."

"Ready whenever you are," Yuki had told him, the boy wielding special gloves that he had created to launch projectiles as different speeds and angles.

Izuku nodded, checking himself quickly. His Flow unit's metal hoses were connected to his boots, and the Drift unit was powered on.

"Drift check!"

As Izuku exclaimed that, the device made a small noise, before stating in a simple heavily robotic voice: "Check."

With that, Izuku clicked his middle fingers inwards on both hands and began to run across the field towards where Yuki was standing.

Nothing escaped Yuki's eyes, that much was true, but once his projectile was fired, Izuku at least had a chance to dodge. Knowing this, Yuki was hoping to still catch him by calculating in the moment where he might be.

Yuki lifted his right hand and fired a test projectile, a simple rubber ball that might leave a welt on someone at best if it hit. It flew at the oncoming Izuku quickly.

"Right stop!" The rod on Izuku's right side shot into the ground, allowing him to bank to his right. "Release!" The rod slid back up into the device, freeing himself. He then began to run to the side,

circling towards Yuki.

With the first exchange in mind, Yuki began to run in the opposite direction. Looking back, he fired off a few more shots towards Izuku, aiming in a horizontal pattern that made it hard to dodge to the side.

Izuku released his middle fingers, sending a charge into his Flow. A blast of air shot from his boots as he jumped expertly over the oncoming attack.

Yuki, of course, had expected this, sliding to a halt and firing a few more shots at Izuku while he was in mid-air.

The Flow unit had been enhanced slightly, only taking a second to charge with air again, but this still proved too long to be immediately effective. Thus, Izuku and Mei had found a way to allow it to store three charges at a time, requiring more buildup time to fill them all, but allowing more uses quickly.

With this upgrade, Izuku was able to quickly fire off another Flow charge to shoot himself to the side, sliding by the oncoming projectiles. As Izuku slid to a halt, he was surprised to see Yuki approaching him quickly.

"You're wide open," Yuki commented as he drew in close, ready to fire upon him at an unavoidable close range.

"Stop left!"

The left rod slammed into the ground, and Izuku held in his right pinky finger, before releasing it. This would send only a slight pulse into the Flow, which in turn triggered a quick burst instead of a long and powerful one.

Yuki fired two shots, but Izuku suddenly began to spin, using the rod in the ground as his pivoting point. As one of his boots shot the air and caused his spinning motion, the other kicked away the projectiles with ease.

With a grunt, Yuki slid to a halt and tried to run away. However, Izuku was already ready to finish it, stopping his spin and facing towards Yuki.

"Fire left!"

The Drift shot the rod into the ground, ejecting it and causing Izuku to propel forward. As Yuki turned, Izuku was already upon him.

He tapped on Yuki's shoulder, and the test was over.

As the two took a moment to catch their breath, Yuki watched Izuku grab the rod from the ground and examine it, before reloading it back into the Drift.

Yuki had known Izuku was getting better and better at physical tasks and support devices, but seeing how quickly he could adapt to them was almost frightening. Somehow Yuki, with a device made to specifically go hand in hand with his Quirk from a distance, wasn't enough to get to Izuku first.

_No, my flaw is that I got in close, _Yuki had thought. _I have to accept that if someone gets in close, I'll probably lose._

"Yuki, thank you for helping me out," Izuku told him with a small smile. "Should we try to do some more tests?"

"I needed this as well, but I think I know what I must work on already," Yuki said with a nod. "I feel like you've already got it down."

"W-Well, it just… Seemed like a good idea—"

"Did you get the idea from that Hero named Power Pole?"

"Eh?! You know about him?"

Yuki shrugged. "It doesn't matter if you took inspiration. He ripped off the old Son Wukong legend anyways."

It was true that Izuku had gotten that sort of inspiration from martial artists and Heroes that mimicked them. The sheer agility and physical

control that allowed them to wield staves and use them as pivot anchors to move around was amazing to him even to this day.

"Well it needs work, but I can't do much more than this before the festival," Izuku commented.

"You'll be fine," Yuki told him. "Don't go losing early, or we won't be able to fight for real."

Izuku looked up at the broad-shouldered boy and nodded.

"Promise!"

In the end, Izuku knew the design needed work, so he continued to try and fine tune it to see if he could correct its faults...

Then the final day of the second week came.

* * *

"Next up is Izuku Midoriya," came the voice of the Principal. "Come on in."

Izuku nervously stepped into the room, where three figures were sitting in waiting. He was relieved to see Principal Nezu and Power Loader, but the third person was very intimidating looking.

Today was the day they'd need to get approval for the devices they'd be using in the Sports Festival. Because it was an exception for the Support class, they wanted to make sure it was still fair compared to the Hero students.

"I'm sure you have lots of cool things to show us, Midoriya," Principal Nezu said happily.

"Don't mind that guy over there. That's Mr. Aizawa," Power Loader said, pointing towards the tired-looking man with scraggly black hair. "He always looks like that."

"Can we just get through this already?" Aizawa was slouching in the seat, obviously not enjoying his time there at all.

"Nonsense. We need to be diligent," the Principal retorted. "We needed a Hero teacher to accurately weigh what's fair and what's not."

"All Might's probably not doing anything," Aizawa muttered.

"All Might's still recovering— But anyways, show us what you have, Midoriya."

Izuku nodded and began his demonstration. They were inside a conference room of sorts, so not much room to maneuver, so they were being forced to be able to explain their devices as well as show them off in a limited environment.

The Flow and the Drift devices were accepted with ease. Power Loader had already known about the Flow, and personally commended it as Hero level equipment.

Izuku also had created special goggles, ones that used thermal vision in case of any kind of smokescreen or anything. The design was taken partially from his original Hero costume idea from before he pursued the Support Course, looking like the top half of a traditional kabuki mask colored green. They were approved easily.

It was difficult for Izuku to explain the 'bombs' that Mei had created. He was supposed to pass them off as his own, so he had renamed them and tinkered with the way they worked.

The Firestops, he called them, now worked on a timer basis. By pressing and turning the button, it would count down up to 5 seconds before exploding the sludge compound all around it.

When explaining its qualities, Aizawa slowly sat up in his chair.

"That's to counter Bakugo, or maybe Todoroki, hm?"

Izuku was surprised by that question, gulping as the serious looking teacher gazed at him.

"I, uh—"

"It seems dangerous for someone to target someone outright. I wouldn't allow it," the man stated, before slouching back into his chair.

Power Loader scratched his chin and shrugged. "Were both biased I suppose, what do you say, Principal?"

"Hmm…" The bear-dog-rat man contemplated for a moment. "Midoriya, explain how you can utilize this in other ways."

Izuku thought about what Mei had said— It was perfect for surviving intense heat or electrical interference. She had also told him how she used some during the Entrance Exam to climb the electrified wall. So that meant….

"S-Since it's highly resistant to electrical currents, it could be used to disable electronics or traps," Izuku began. "An electric Quirk as well maybe? And also it could be used to cover myself to survive heat or electricity, as a defensive option—"

"But mainly to counter explosions."

This statement by Aizawa made Izuku freeze, which easily confirmed it to the man.

"Like I thought. I'll pass on that," Aizawa said, looking towards the window as if now uninterested.

_It's not going well… But these Firestops… Maybe the name is too lame? No, I need to be honest!_

"A-actually, Mr. Aizawa… I've known Ka— Bakugo since we were kids," Izuku explained. "He and I are likely to target each other in our rivalry, so it's only natural that we want to be ready."

"Bakugo has never mentioned you."

"Mention my name… No, tell him about 'Deku', and you'll see," Izuku said confidently. "If he reacts accordingly, then will you approve this?"

Aizawa looked down for a moment at the Firestop device, then sighed and looked back towards the window.

"That's a pain, having to do something extra," the man muttered. "If he does, then maybe."

Izuku politely bowed. "Thank you! I hope you consider it!"

"Well, then we will let you know before the festival begins, Midoriya," the Principal stated, nodding to him.

After giving them his regards, Izuku hastily left, feeling flustered from the experience. He jumped when Mei came out of nowhere, jumping on him and holding onto him.

"Izuku! Did you do it?!"

"A-ah, I think so—" Izuku was used to Mei being a girl at this point, but there was quite the _bouncy_ problem that he couldn't get used to yet, whenever said problem was touching him.

Izuku waited for Mei to get her turn, since she had waited for him. When she emerged soon after with a trunk full of inventions, she smiles and gave him a thumbs up.

"T-They approved them all…?"

"Yup! That 1-A teacher guy didn't care much, and Power Loader was super into them all!" Mei smiled proudly.

_The festival is going to start tomorrow, _Izuku thought as they walked together. _The most important moment of my life— Well, the second most important.._

"Hey Mei, s-should we celebrate or something with the others before the festival?"

"I think the others are going to sleep or something lame, but I'm glad you're willing to pull an all-nighter with me!"

"Well… I don't know about that…"

* * *

When classes released that day, Bakugo was surprised to see Aizawa waiting for him at the gate.

"What? Am I in trouble or somethin?"

Aizawa eyed the boy seriously. "Have you heard of Deku?"

Bakugo blinked at this, at first showing no signs of reaction— But then Aizawa caught it, the moment Bakugo's face twisted and his hands clenched tightly into fists.

"Nope, sounds like some kind of goddamn forgettable nerd," Bakugo hissed. "I'm leaving."

The boy stormed angrily past Aizawa, who sighed and looked towards the orange horizon of the setting sun.

"Well, that answers that then…"

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Resounding Sports Festival! (SF Arc)**


	20. RECAP Ch 1-18 (Extra)

_**A/N: This is a recap of events from Chapter 1-18. This is mainly useful for quick a reminder or for anyone jumping in who might want to save some time!**_

* * *

**The Beginning**

Izuku Midoriya was born in a world5/ where most people have special abilities known as Quirks. His dreams of becoming a Hero, like the #1 Hero All Might, were dashed early on when he was deemed to be completely Quirkless.

Still, despite nobody believing in him, Izuku wished to attend the most prestigious school where the greatest Heroes were realized: U.A.

One day, after the usual bullying incident with his childhood friend Katsuki Bakugo, Izuku had a chance encounter with a girl named Mei Hatsume, when she crash landed behind his Middle School after a failed experiment.

Mei was a genius inventor who was aiming to attend U.A in order to make lots, _and lots_, of money. Her personality was loud and proud, and her visionary mind (and lack of sleep) left her with many wonderful inventions.

After an encounter with a villain has them get saved by All Might, Izuku realizes that this his best chance to achieve his dream, was to get Mei to help him. Thus he decided he would try to join—

The Support Class.

At U.A, there were four courses: Hero, Support, Business, and General Studies.

Izuku believed that, if he could make it into the Support course, he may be able to use his creativity and ideas for Hero equipment to use.

After convincing Mei to help him, who may or may not have just wanted a guinea pig for her experiments, they began their roughly ten months of training in preparation for the U.A Entrance Exams.

**Training**

Izuku begins to train his mind and body. For the first time, he did intense exercises, which took a heavy toll on him for at least the first couple of months.

Beyond physical training, Izuku opened his mind to different sciences and knowledge he hadn't pursued beyond school. This included aerodynamics, metalwork, electrical engineering— It wasn't easy to grasp in a little less than a year, but he managed to learn thanks to Mei as well.

Before he knew it, the holidays came and passed, and there was little time left before the Entrance Exams.

Under Mei's guidance, Izuku had finally created his first invention all for his own— The Flow.

Using special gloves, Izuku could send a pulse of electricity into a unit on his back that compressed and fired air from his boots, connected via metal tubes designed to not impede his movement.

Izuku got his perfect chance to test his Flow when he accidentally ran into Bakugo weeks before the entrance exam.

When the blonde-haired boy with the explosive temper tried to attack him, Izuku worked up the nerve to dodge using his Flow, proving it was effective.

**Entrance Exams**

Then it became time for the Entrance Exams. The Hero and Support Courses had separate exams, though those who failed them could always be accepted into the General Studies class either way.

Izuku and Mei went to the orientation, where the pro hero Drama Boss put on a dramatic display, and a surprise Hero from America, Paper Mache, made an appearance, along with the Hero and Support Course teacher Power Loader.

The first test was set to put two people against each other in an invention creation contest. Izuku was matched with a short and sly girl named Shiro, who didn't seem to care for peoples personal space. The winner of this phase got an advantage in the next round.

After racing to gather the limited supplies they were allowed, Izuku was tricked by Shiro, forced to give her half of what he had gathered. The girl did this due to the fact that she wasn't very athletic and could make him do all the work for her.

With that, the challenge was on, and in the end, Izuku came out victorious for creating EMP bracelets for the strength hero Death Arms. Shiro was also passed for her invention, and due to Izuku's EMP messing with other peoples creations, he wasn't given his advantage.

The second phase involved a race through a perilous cityscape, where they'd need to use their inventions and their witts to make it to the end before anyone else, all while protecting a Pro Hero, who was a clone made by a hero named Miss Negative.

Shortly after beginning, Izuku was attacked and confronted by Paper Mache, who believed that Izuku, as a Quirkless person, could never succeed and should quit.

Izuku wasn't having it, determined to fight for his dreams. After a scuffle with Paper Mache, he managed to knock the Hero out of the building he was trapped in, continuing on as Paper Mache decided not to pursue him any longer.

Unbeknownst to Izuku, a boy named Yuki had seen the entire thing, and this would become relevant a bit later.

A large electrified wall cut off the entire city, and everyone had to use their creations to get around it, though mysterious living cardboard creatures, made by Drama Boss' quirk, were set to attack them if they tried to merely fly over.

Mei utilized a special sludge-like compound she had been working on, one that would protect them from the electricity. It was based on the sludge villain whom had attacked her and Izuku a year prior, and she was saving it as a surprise for Izuku, since it could be useful for his future encounters with Bakugo.

Izuku utilized his EMP bracelets he had created since his Flow was nearly ruined by Paper Mache. He managed to climb the wall and continued on, only to be attacked by a giant cardboard creature, forced to dash away with only one of his boots being powered by his Flow.

The test was set to end, but Izuku made it at the last second, giving Mei a well-deserved and tired fist bump as they had both made it on their own.

A week later, Izuku received two letters— One held a message from U.A, and the other was a hand-written letter from Paper Mache.

Paper Mache's letter apologized and stated that Izuku may be able to become a Hero after all, though it was incredibly rough and snarky as Paper Mache was known to be.

The letter from U.A held a hologram device, creating a message from the pro hero Power Loader who explained Izuku's test results and the fact that he had passed.

**Power Loader's Support Course**

School was beginning, and Izuku and Mei were set to be a part of Class 1-H, with Power Loader as their homeroom teacher.

Power Loader explained that it would be a difficult course, and that he has a special plan for them: Challenges. These challenges could be issued by any student to another student, and would affect their overall grade. Everyone is set to only being challenged once, but can challenge as much as they wish.

The tall and broad boy named Yuki was quick to challenge Izuku, finding his secret Quirklessness to be a detriment, thus he was an easy target.

Their challenge was a best of 5 of five different games: Table Tennis, Chess, Jenga(yep that's right), Pool, and Darts.

Yuki's quirk gave him eyes that allowed him pinpoint accuracy and instant coordination with his nervous system for great reaction times. Luckily Izuku was still able to win two of the games, taking them to the final one— Darts.

With no chance to win, Izuku was able to turn the tides by revealing his secret to everyone that he's Quirkless. This changes Yuki's mind, and he decides to call the challenge a draw, feeling newfound respect for Izuku.

Soon after, they were set to have team battles using robots they create, and Izuku is paired with a bored-looking kid named Ryuken, who prefers Ken.

However, Mei discovers All Might walking around the school building, and makes an excuse to drag Izuku there in order to let him finally confront his favorite Hero.

Once there, they manage to run into All Might, and Izuku is finally able to ask him the question he needed answers to: "Can I become a Hero without a Quirk?"

All Might tells him that he believes he could, especially since he's already made it into U.A. All Might is in hurry however and rushes off after giving him and Mei some words of encouragement.

Instead of leaving it at that, Mei wants to know what All Might is up to. While spying, she sees him transform into his true, scrawny self. However, they are caught by the principal of U.A, a mysterious animal-like person named Nezu.

Now forced to confront All Might after being caught, Principal Nezu explains that Quirkless students often struggle at U.A and leave, but that Izuku has lots of potential, as does Mei. Nezu decides to leave the punishment up to All Might.

All Might tasks Izuku and Mei with going to the first year Hero classes and taking at least three requests for Support items.

Izuku is sent to 1-B, where he's glad Bakugo isn't in, but he's also nervous under so many unfamiliar eyes. After a bit of a struggle, he manages to get three requests from some of the 1-B class, given one week to complete them.

After this, Izuku is forced to go back and face a pissed Power Loader and Ken. Luckily, the heat dies down and Izuku and Mei can continue like normal.

Soon after, Izuku challenges Ken due to a semi-petty argument and the fact that Ken is afraid to handle a pen over a pencil.

They conduct a base-building competition along with a single partner. Ken gets Sae, a kind motherly girl whose Quirk allows her to sing to blow and create glass fixtures. Izuku's partner is Konoda, a boy whose head is in the shape of a hammer tool and is as hard as the strongest metal.

Once completed, their bases seem very competent— At least, until Konoda accidentally destroys theirs, leaving Ken as the winner. However, he wishes to prove himself even further, and its revealed that All Might was coming to test their bases strength.

Using a very weak punch but still sending an intense gust of air at the base, it withstands it, and Ken, who was still on top of it, proudly declared himself the winner.

Now with many friends, Izuku's school life seemed to be looking up, until….

**The Tale of Miss Negative**

While Class 1-A was attacked by villains at the USJ training ground, a separate front was set to occur within the U.A main school building.

While the school was on lockdown, the door to 1-H was blown off, and the lights were taken out. Several mysterious cloaked figures rushed in, grabbing Yuki, Izuku, and Mei, nearly grabbing the bespectacled boy Taka but Yuki saved him.

The three are taken to the gymnasium, where they are surprised to find Miss Negative from the entrance exams there, looking very weak. She explains that she's fading and they're the last hope to save her, as she can't go to a Pro Hero nor have any medical experts been able to assist her.

Yuki isnt having it and decides to fight, with Izuku backing him up. They fight off the clones Miss Negative created to kidnap them, while Mei examined the woman and told her that she was most likely going to fade away.

This causes a change in Miss Negative, her and her clones becoming unstable masses of energy after blinding the room with a flash of light. Yuki, blinded from the event due to his eyes being more sensitive, tells Izuku to go to Mei while he fights off the clones.

Izuku goes and saves Mei, but they're cornered. Izuku is willing to sacrifice himself, but Mei insists they do their best work when they improvise, running at the rampaging Miss Negative.

Luckily they are saved when Paper Mache arrives, using his quirk to control tons of paper that can pierce through Miss Negative and her clones with ease. He reveals the reason he came to Japan was he was hired by two parents to find their daughter, Hiyumi Hitaka, to which he states Miss Negative killed her.

Izuku and Mei go to Yuki, saving him from a fatal attack, leaving him with just a cut in his side. Paper Mache gets them to leave, while he handles the situation.

Using sticky notes in his trenchcoat, Paper Mache begins to try and question the rampaging Miss Negative, using the notes like bullets to keep her at bay.

As it turns out, Miss Negative is not who she seemed to be.

There was once a girl named Hiyumi Hitaka. She was able to create clones of herself who were always super happy, reflecting her positive attitude towards life.

Her life wasn't very happy, but she made the best of it, hiding her deep emotions from having abusive parents and being constantly put down.

One day, she created a clone to keep herself company— But this one was different. She was anxious and moody and didn't smile. This clone held all of her negative emotions she had bottled up.

Hiyumi was killed by this clone, in a lash of anger. This left the clone scared that she would then vanish into nonexistence— But she didn't. This clone managed to cling to life, and assimilated herself into Hiyumi's life.

After graduation, she became the pro Hero known as Miss Negative.

Paper Mache manages to calm her down, getting the truth from her: She was supposed to attack the school building, but when she started to lose control of herself, she changed the plan. She says her regrets, and Paper Mache tells her it's alright, that he'll let her parents know.

While Paper Mache watches her fade away, he's shot in the back as a villain appears— Kurogiri, a villain who is able to warp with a mysterious black fog.

Izuku arrives back on the scene and ignores Paper Mache's words to hide, attacking Kurogiri. The villain is ready but luckily Paper Mache tackles Izuku out of the way before he's severed by the void portal closing.

Kurogiri is ready to combat them, but the others are coming to the gym, so he warps away. Izuku wants to pursue, but Paper Mache convinces him to stop.

When everyone arrives, Paper Mache is giving Izuku final words of encouragement before dying.

**The Sports Festival Approaches**

In the wake of the attack on U.A, Izuku must reconcile his feelings for becoming a Hero, while preparing for the upcoming Sports Festival, where he plans to make his big debut and try to join the Hero class.

Worried for his childhood friend, he seeks out Bakugo, finding Iida Tensei from 1-A first. When Bakugo arrives, he's pissed to see Izuku wearing a U.A uniform, and he tries to attack him. Izuku hides behind Iida. Luckily, so many people are around due to heightened security, that Bakugo decides to drop it for now and leaves.

After classes one day, Izuku finds a crowd in front of 1-A's door. There a boy named Shinso declares war on the Hero class, saying that he will remove them from their pedestal.

Izuku defends the Hero class and declares that he wishes to join as well, but he won't defame them in any way. This causes some ire from Shinso, who seems to already know about Izuku.

Now with even more people out to get him in the festival, Izuku prepares with Mei, who gives him the sludge bombs, which work great to prevent heat and explosions, thus working well against someone like Bakugo.

Izuku has to get his devices approved. This includes his new device, the Drift, which allows him to have more free sudden movement, as well as the bombs from Mei which he calls Firestoppers, and special goggles that look like the top half of a kabuki mask that can detect heat signatures.

It's difficult to convince the teacher of 1-A, Aizawa, who feels targeting Bakugo is unheroic, but Izuku tells him to mention "Deku" to Bakugo to see how he reacts.

Later that day, Aizawa does just that, eliciting an angry response. Thus he realizes Izuku is truthful about his rivalry with the blonde haired boy.

And now, the stage is set, and the day of the Sports Festival has finally come—-


	21. Resounding Sports Festival! (SF Arc)

_**A/N: This one's a bit short, but I'll be trying to update more frequently than once a week- So enjoy! :) Recap is also being posted at the same time for anyone that may need it.**_

**Chapter Nineteen: Resounding Sports Festival!**

It was a sunny day with a slight breeze when the Sports Festival had finally arrived.

"Good luck, Izuku!"

After saying goodbye to his mother, Izuku took off from his home. It wasn't long before he saw the group that was waiting for him.

"S-Sorry, I got caught up in double-checking everything," Izuku apologized.

Mei, Yuki, Shiro, and Ken were there. The four who had stuck with him the most and helped him out. Izuku felt like he hadn't done much in return to any of them, especially Mei, but he knew that succeeding in the festival was going to be a start.

"I even got ready on time for once," Ken said with a yawn.

"I have to agree, it's impressive to be later than Ken," Yuki commented.

"I-I said sorry!" Izuku got flustered.

Together, they headed to school. Once they were close to the building, they could see the increase in foot traffic as people were starting to head towards the stadium already.

At the main entrance to the U.A school grounds, a few teachers were waiting, obviously posted for security reasons. One of them was Aizawa who, as per usual, looked like he'd rather be anywhere but there.

"Ah, Mr. Aizawa!" Izuku gave a small wave to the man as they approached.

Aizawa glanced over at Izuku for a moment, before looking away again. Izuku stopped his wave, feeling a bit put off, but he was then surprised when the teacher gave him a thumbs up while looking away.

_What's that supposed to mean… Wait, does that mean—_

Izuku smiled and exclaimed, "Thank you!"

"What was that all about? You're already getting close to the Hero teachers huh," Shiro questioned sourly as they entered the building.

"I just needed approval for a device from him," Izuku explained.

"Ehh? Did you make something super dangerous?"

Izuku chuckled nervously. "Not exactly…"

The students of 1-H were to meet with Power Loader first before heading out to the stadium, so they could all go together with the other Support classes.

"This wasn't my idea, but I guess they felt that were safer all together," Power Loader explained, scratching his chin. "Even though we really normally compete with each other...But it does give me an opportunity to speak to you though, because once there, I'll be with the other faculty."

Their teacher cleared his throat, seeming a bit awkward as he continued. "Just uh… Do your best, I guess. You all know what you have to do to succeed. Don't let anything get to ya'."

Power Loader, turned away, leaving them a bit confused by such simple words. However, they all knew that the words had a lot of meaning hidden behind them— So the fact that a Pro Hero had told them anything was inspirational to them either way.

While Izuku went over the upcoming events in his head, they joined the other two support classes, 1-F and 1-G, both of which seemed to have a very conflicted air about them. They began to board two busses prepared for them, which were necessary due to U.A's school grounds being as big as a city in its own rights, making it a little ways to the U.A Sports Stadium,

"This is obviously just extra security for us specifically," Shiro had muttered to Izuku as they boarded. "Probably because you cause so much trouble."

"Me?" Izuku looked over towards Mei who was behind them. "If you say so…"

Izuku boarded the bus first, but froze as he saw many eyes on him from other unfamiliar students. One of them approached him and set a hand hard on his shoulder.

"Ah, Midoriya right? We've been wanting to chat with ya!"

"E-Ehh…?"

Izuku looked up at the large guy, and before he knew it, several others suddenly began to drag him towards the back of the bus. As Shiro, Mei, Yuki, and Ken boarded, they saw Izuku sitting at the back with a bunch of others, and didn't question it much as they sat.

"U-Umm, how do you… know about me…" Izuku glanced around nervously at the several students looking at him with malicious intent.

One student, who was tall with neat blonde hair pulled back into a bun, was the only one who didn't look as menacing. He gave Izuku a smile and extended a hand to him.

"We're from Class 1-F. I'm the Class Rep, Saikami," the boy told him.

Izuku hesitantly took his hand and shook it—. "1-F huh… What have you guys been— Ahh!"

Izuku gasped as he felt Saikami's grip suddenly tighten, feeling like his hand was being crushed. However, looking at their handshake, the blonde boy wasn't squeezing his hand or using any effort.

"My Quirk allows me to enhance gravity of a person I touch, cool huh?" Saikami's smile twisted a bit at the ends as it became very sinister. "We've heard rumors you're aiming to become a Hero. What makes you think you can accomplish that, hm?"

Izuku gasped as he felt his entire body start to sink into the seat more, feeling like he had suddenly put on two hundred extra pounds, unable to pull his hand away. After a moment, Saikami let up a bit, making Izuku breathe a sigh of relief.

"Well? You got something special about you? Or do you think someone without a Quirk can actually become a Hero?"

Izuku gritted his teeth, looking at Saikami and the other 1-F students around him. He wanted to try and contact his friends somehow, but he also knew that this was something he should handle himself.

_This is just like back then—_

He remembered being bullied by Bakugo and others during his Middle School years, being mocked and told that he couldn't do anything without a Quirk.

_Yet here I am, and most of them didn't make it into U.A, _Izuku thought. _I bet most didn't even try because Kacchan told them not to!_

Izuku closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Then, when he reopened his eyes, he used his great grip strength from a year of training himself to grasp Saikami's hand hard, making him let out a yelp.

"What makes me special is that I'm not going to give up, just because someone tells me to," Izuku finally replied.

Saikami was gasping and trying to pull his hand free. He wasn't very strong, often using his Quirk to give others a disadvantage against him. However, if he wasn't able to focus on it during a stressful situation, he couldn't enact his Quirk on someone— And this was the reason he failed the Hero Exam.

The rest of the students had tensed up at the change in Izuku's demeanor as he continued, "If you all want to prove me wrong, then we're heading to the place to do it."

Nobody said anything in response, to Izuku's surprise. He let go of Saikami's hand, the boy holding onto it and groaning, turning away so as to not show weakness in front of everyone else. The rest of the 1-F students around Izuku suddenly looked a lot less intimidating to him, and more like just normal students like himself.

_It's all how you see your surroundings, _Izuku realized. _Back then as well, if I had made the best of it, maybe things would've been different… No, I'm only this confident because of them!_

Izuku glanced across the bus to where his friends were sitting, and he smiled a bit.

Unbeknownst to class 1-H, the other two support classes were worked to the bone to make sure they were better than Power Loader's class. This was due to them often losing to his classes in competitions, even when Power Loader's class was full of slackers one year.

Though 1-H had only internally competed thus far, there were events to come where all three Support Classes were set to go against each other, and some events that went against other schools.

The most prominent first competition was a challenge between U.A and a few other schools set in the Hosu area, which was set to go down only a couple of weeks after the Sports Festival. It was close enough to ride the wave of hype from the festival, while not being completely overshadowed by it.

_Everyone's supporting me and counting on me to join the Hero class— Would I even be able to stay with them if I can't achieve that_? _I won't betray their trust ever!_

While Izuku contemplated things, the 1-F students around him stayed quiet, and the rest of the bus ride went smoothly after that.

* * *

After arriving to the Sports Stadium, the different classes were given their own preparation rooms and changing rooms, having to wear their UA track uniforms to keep the playing field fair for everyone.

It was nearing time for everyone to go out, and most of the students of 1-H seemed heavily nervous.

"Man, what if I trip or something… That'd be so uncool on live TV," Shuzo commented out loud, furiously rubbing his stubble on his chin.

"Just don't look stupid and do what you have to," Ken replied lazily.

"Easy for you to say! I bet you'll put in zero effort!"

"Exactly." Ken shrugged. "My Quirk and I aren't really made for this, so I don't want to try and be something I'm not."

"Precisely," came Taka from nearby who was typing into a laptop intensely, "This isn't really for people like us who don't care for physical stuff."

"Don't loop me in with you, four eyes," Ken muttered to himself.

Izuku was sitting at a table, his hands up near his mouth, as he fought off the nerves that were starting to build up. He thought about how his mother and All Might and every Hero and civilian alike out there would be watching from the stadium or at home. It was one thing to imagine or watch on TV, but to actually be there was a whole different story.

A hand on his shoulder broke his concentration, and he looked back to see Mei standing there. She gave him one of her trademark wide smiles.

"Are you good to go, Izuku?"

"Y-Yeah," he said, giving a reassuring smile. "Just a bit nervous I guess."

"You shouldn't be! This is the moment we've been dreaming of! There's so many people watching who are bound to see the greatness of our inventions," Mei exclaimed happily.

"The amount of people is kind of the problem…"

Mei laughed and stood back, striking a sort of pose. Izuku looked at her, noticing that she was all geared up, with devices that Izuku could only guess at since she didn't want to tell him.

"But the more people that know your name and your goal, the more that'll support you in the future," Mei said, adding, "With _lots and lots of money!_"

Izuku couldn't help but chuckle, feeling his nerves easing up a bit. It was difficult to remain gloomy or stressed around Mei, which seemed to contrast how hectic she tended to make situations with her loudness and crazy inventions. Izuku chalked it up to their closeness and left it without any deeper thought.

"It's time," Yuki said from the doorway that led to the tunnel they would enter from. "Everyone get ready."

There was no more time to fret or be nervous, it was now time to show what they'd got. After Izuku suited up, the students of 1-H lined up like they had decided, and finally headed out.

* * *

Everyone watched from the stands with excitement, as the hero Present Mic began the one thing he was (usually) good at— Hyping people up.

"**Pay attention, audience— Swarm, mass media!"**

His words echoed through the stadium and into the tunnels where the students were approaching. The sounds of the crowd became more and more intense as they grew closer to the exit.

"**This year's high school rodeo of adolescence that you all love, the U.A Sports Festival, is about to begin!** **Are you ready?!"**

Izuku could feel his confidence wavering as the crowd grew more and more pumped from Present Mic's words. Everything was starting to come together— More than ever, it was time for him to step up and prove he deserves to be there.

_I won't let you down, Mom… Mei… Paper Mache…_

The thought of his biggest supporters clashes with the images of those who were opposing him.

Izuku thought about the other Supports classes, the boy named Shinso from the General Studies course, and of course his childhood friend Bakugo. They were all possibly targeting him, and while he may be able face them head to head, he was worried about being attacked by multiple sides.

_This is when I have to rely on my friends. I believe in them!_

"**It's time for the students to enter the first-year stage!**"

Fanfare music began to play, as they had finally reached the light at the end of the tunnel. After adjusting to the brightness, Izuku looked all around at the screaming crowd, his fists tightening to contain himself. He thought about All Might being out there somewhere, watching the hopefuls of the next generation.

_Watch me, All Might— I'll become a Hero just like I said I would!_

* * *

In the darkness of a mysterious location, a flickering TV screen showed the footage from the U.A Sports Festival.

The man with light blue hair sat hunched over, watching the screen closely as he chewed on his finger, watching in anger at the students walking out onto the field.

"Heroes…" He grumbled to himself as he watched.

Behind the man, the Villain known as Kurogiri looked over towards the scene. On Tv, he could see a familiar person walking out into the stadium.

_That boy… _

On screen was a boy with green hair, looking nervously around at the stands. On his back was a canvas backpack of sorts. His waist held a sort of metal device that jutted back a bit in two prongs, and atop his head were a set of interesting looking goggles.

_Support hm? Interesting._

Unbeknownst to Izuku Midoriya, the gears of fate had just begun to start slowly turning….

—

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The Rush for First!**


	22. The Rush for First! (SF Arc)

_**A/N: 20 chapters strong! Thanks for all the Support! Keep the reviews rolling and enjoy~**_

**Chapter Twenty -The Rush for First****!**

Present Mic had announced all of the different classes, from 1-A to 1-K, with the former receiving an explosion of cheers after the attack on USJ had garnered them attention from across the country.

As everyone gathered near the center stage, everyone was shocked to see who was standing at the podium.

_Crack! _The sound from a small horse whip in the woman's hand resounded as she flicked it, exclaiming afterwards, "Time for the player pledge!"

The students and crowd were in awe at the sight of the R-Rated Hero, Midnight. Her questionable outfit and track record for adult mishaps made many question if she was even allowed to be at a High School.

"Shouldn't it be the Principal or something?" Ken scratched his chin, looking boredly ahead.

"He's always at the third year stage," Izuku explained. "I watch the festival every year, so I guess that's the same at least."

Shiro made a small noise of delight from nearby, exclaiming, "Midnight is so cool! She's everything I want to be!"

"A-Are you sure about that?" Izuku chucked nervously.

Mei nodded at Shiro'a exclamation. "Someone bold and out there like that deserves respect!"

"You too Mei?!"

The pink-haired girl smirked. "Yup! That's what I want to be! Loud and proud and giving my all!"

Izuku let out a sigh of relief. "Ah, I see…"

"Everyone, quiet!" Midnight cracked the whip again, the whispering starting to die down. "Representing the students is Katsuki Bakugo from Class 1-A!"

_Kacchan?!_

Everyone seemed surprised, watching the blonde as he slowly headed up towards the podium. Izuku could hear some of the other classes talking about him.

"He finished #1 in the Hero exam, so it makes sense—-"

"But no way that kind of guy would do good in any other exam."

Izuku gulped, watching his childhood friend take the stand, looking very nonchalant with his hands in his pocket. He wasn't sure what to expect, but he knew that it would cause a ruckus either way.

"I pledge… that I'll be #1."

_There it is!_ Izuku gasped, and every student went into an uproar, booing and insulting him. The boy's eyes scanned the crowd, and eventually landed on Izuku with the Support classes, a hint of a smirk appearing on his face.

"Bakugo! How could you say something so disgraceful," Iida exclaimed from nearby, obviously shaken.

Bakugo turned from the mic, looking down at the bespectacled boy, then at the other students of the Hero classes behind him.

"At least become a nice bouncy step for me to jump off of."

As Bakugo headed down from the stage, everyone was still in an uproar, especially the students of 1-B who felt like they were being personally attacked. Izuku was worried for his friend, but realized that he did this all on purpose.

_Kacchan wants to be driven into a corner… He wants to show he can crush anyone! _Izuku sighed. _Of course he's drag as many people he could into his ways…_

"Alrigh! Let's get started right away," Midnight exclaimed, ignoring the students' anger. "The first event is what you'd call a Qualifier— Every year, many hopefuls drink their tears here! Now, here is the fateful first game!"

She raised a hand, and a screen popped up behind her. On screen was a slot machine that was spinning rapidly, before finally landing on a single phrase.

"This year it's… this!

_An obstacle race! That's to be expected,_ Izuku thought, instinctively reaching to the belt of his Drift unit.

"All 11 classes will participate in this race! The course will be the outer circumference of this stadium— That's 4 kilometers!" As Midnight explained, diagrams appeared on the screen behind her, showing the classes and the outer ring of the stadium. "Our school's selling point is freedom. As long as you stay on course—" She paused to lick her lips seductively for effect,"It doesn't matter what you do! Now, take your places everyone!"

Midnight pointed to one of the large exit tunnels of the stadium where there was a red gateway with green lights on top of it. The students began to gather, breaking their neat formations as some crammed in to try and be at the front.

"Being towards the back would be advantageous," Yuki stated to them. "No reason to be first til the end."

They all agreed to this, and most of 1-H stayed near the back of the pack as well, except for a select few like Wakata, who as a sports fanatic felt the need to try as hard as possible, and Ninsei, who was absolutely determined to get a leg up on his classmates for once.

"I hope Power Loader-sensei is watching closely," Mei commented with a grin, putting her goggles on.

"He won't be disappointed. I know we'll all make it through," Izuku said confidently, looking at his friends.

Ken rubbed the back of his head and shrugged. "I'm willing to help you guys, but this isn't my thing so… Don't wait up for me."

They looked to Ken, who hadn't broug ht any inventions or anything. During preparation, they had tried to get him to utilize his swiss army knife-like quirk in order to create things to give him an edge, but he had insisted it was a pain.

"Make it as far as you can," Izuku told him with a smile. "I believe in you!"

Ken nodded and looked away. "That's pretty embarrassing man, don't just say that randomly."

There was a noise, and they looked to see that one of the green lights had gone down. Shortly after, another went out. Everyone began to tense up in preparation.

As the final light went out, Midnight exclaimed:

"_Start!_"

Everyone took off. It quickly became a mad house as the students all packed into the tunnel, and their first sticky situation became apparent very quickly.

The group was stuck. Everyone inside the tunnel was pushing and trying to get through all at the same time. Those at the back couldn't get through the wall of people, as very few were able to break through.

_Being at the rear backfired! _Izuku thought.

"Midoriya! Hurry up!"

It was Yuki's voice. Izuku looked over to see that his friends were already making their moves.

Shiro, whom had a sort of second pair of metal legs that were hanging from her back, was able to clamp to the tunnel ceiling using them, laughing maniacally as she breezed past everybody.

Yuki was hopping from person to person, his steps off of them quick and precise and he looked all around, his quirk-enhanced eyes making it an easy task for him.

Mei had taken off, leap-frogging over Ken, who seemed disgruntled by it, firing a device from her belt that sent a metal piece into the ceiling connected to her via a metal cable, letting her swing above everyone.

"Man, we already got left behind," Ken commented.

_As if! I've got something to prove!_

Izuku took a few steps back, then ran towards the crowd. He charged his Flow, making it so that he'd get three consecutive strong bursts, exhausting his three stored charges. As the first one fire off, he was sent over the crowd, flying through the air.

In a moment, Izuku had already caught up to the others. He smirked at them as the second shot of air came from his Flow boots, propelling him forward. The light at the end of the tunnel was approaching quickly, and he figured he had already passed a majority of the students—

However, there was a loud noise, and the air suddenly grew cold. A blast of icy wind messed with Izuku's flight path, making him slam over into the wall, nearly falling onto the other students if his last Flow charge hadn't blasted him forward and out of the tunnel.

_W-What's this?!_

Izuku was shocked to find a giant wall of ice covering the side of the stadium. As he tried to land on the ground, he noticed it was solid ice, and struggled and slipped trying to slide to a halt, eventually falling onto his bum.

"Damn you!"

"N-Not fair!"

The cries from behind made Izuku turn to see several students stuck in the ice, their legs frozen over. Wakata and Ninsei, who had been at the front and were now stuck, were struggling and griping.

Explosions rang out, and Izuku watched as Bakugo suddenly soared overhead, using explosions from his hands to get over the ice trap.

"I won't let you get away so easily, you half-and-half bastard!"

Other students who Izuku recognized from the Hero classes were right behind Bakugo, using their various quirks to avoid the ice.

_Half and half? _Izuku looked ahead of the crowd for the source of the ice. There, he could see a boy running ahead of the pack, half of his hair red while the other was white. _I think I heard about him, he's…_

By now, the students were starting to break through the tunnel, rushing past those stuck in ice. The short and chubby Taka jogged slowly by Ninsei and Wakata, looking up at them.

"Do you require assistance?"

"No way! I got this," Wakata exclaimed, the athletic girl struggling intensely.

Ninsei sighed and shrugged. "I already got em like I was supposed to. It's all up to you guys."

Taka took notice that Ninsei's arms were gone, his sleeves of his sports uniform empty. He nodded and pushed up on his glasses.

"Perfect. Just make sure they aren't discovered," Taka said before jogging off.

Ninsei's quirk was vital to the plan some of the

1-H students had come up with in order to help Izuku make it through. His quirk, known as "Phantom Limbs," allowed him to detach his arms and/or legs and control them from afar—

And one of his arms were clinging to Bakugo, riding the hem of his shirt, trying to remain unfelt and unseen. Luckily, the explosive boy had no clue, focused on what was ahead of him.

Izuku slowly got up to his feet, struggling on the ice. He began to let his Flow compress air, restoring the charges.

_Kacchan, I won't let you get ahead for long!_

"Drift Check!" Izuku grabbed a tight hold of the Drift belt.

"Drift _on!_" A more chipper and excited robotic voice responded, something Izuku hadn't cared for but his friends insisted.

The voice commands were still active if need be, but Izuku had worked on another way to use the device otherwise. The gloves he used to send signals into the Flow unit could emit electrical pulses, so he merely amped up the pulse a bit to where they _could _physically shock something. From there, it was a matter of getting the Drift device at his waist to recognize and be controlled by it.

_Let's go!_

He sent a pulse of electricity into the belt, which made it slam the metal rods into the ground, finally giving him a solid footing. The whirring sound of the Flow ceased, having compressed its full capacity of air.

Now with a solid footing, Izuku charged his Flow, and at the same time as it firing, had his Drift device slide the rods back into itself, letting him fire up into the air.

"Go Izuku!"

He looked back, seeing Mei waving after him as she skated over the ice using the hover boots she had created. Behind her, Shiro was slamming the robotic legs into the ice to give herself a footing, but was moving slowly due to this, and Yuki was struggling to stay upright as he shifted his way across the slippery floor.

"_Deku!_"

Turning his attention forward, Izuku could see Bakugo looking back at him, his face a mess of anger. Izuku clenched his fists, approaching his childhood friend and rival at a rapid pace—

However, there was no clash between them. Absolutely massive robots rose in front of the students, making them gawk and come to a halt. Izuku landed, skidding to a halt.

"Stop full!" At Izuku's command, his Drift slammed the rods into the ground to help stop his momentum so he didn't run into Bakugo ahead of him. He then looked up at the creations that were taller than the sports stadium.

_T-These robots are ridiculous!_

Izuku recognized them as the ones from the large hangar they had done some work in. Power Loader had explained they were a part of the Hero exam, and Izuku had been amazed at the damage the Hero students had managed to do to them.

There were a few ahead of Izuku, but he wasn't sure what to do faced with such incredibly large blockades. He knew something had to he done, or else the others would catch up quick while everyone was gawking.

The boy with the dual-colored hair at the front of the pack stood firm, gazing up at the giant robots, as one of them began to reach its large hand down towards him.

_That guy, he's— _

A pool of ice began to form beneath the boy's feet, and he lowered his right hand, before bringing it up hard, sending an enormous wave of ice that went across the ground and up the robot, instantly freezing it in place as an icy mist kicked up all around. Izuku remembered the name that Aizawa had mentioned before.

_Todoroki! He's… the son of the #2 Hero, Endeavor!_

"Hey, he stopped them! Lets go through," someone exclaimed.

Todoroki ran between the legs of the frozen robot, and looked back at them.

"I wouldn't if I were you, I froze them while they were unbalanced," he called back to them as he disappeared into the mist.

Sure enough, the giant robot began to lurch forward, the ice shattering from its body. Everyone gasped and moved back as it fell and broke apart, hitting the ground hard.

With one of the large robots having fallen, several smaller ones rolled up to take its place. While these looked more manageable, they still appeared very combat capable, with thick metal arms and single glowing red eyes that locked onto their targets.

_Gotta hurry up! Can't fall behind!_

It was one thing to think that, but another to apply it. There was an explosion that cleared some of the icy mist, as Bakugo ascended into the air.

Another of the giant robots intercepted the boy, bringing its large fist down to try and punch him at a speed that seemed too much for something so big. However, Bakugo dodged it with ease, explosions from his hands allowing him to move and dodge with almost no effort.

_Of course, going over! Kacchan is always so resourceful—_ Izuku shook his head, clearing his thoughts. Now wasn't the time to watch— He needed to go.

Two figures burst out from the wreckage of the robot Todoroki had destroyed. One of them Izuku recognized as Tetsutetsu, his entire body taking on a metallic shape. The other was a red-haired boy whose body seemed to harden itself.

"Hey, someone could've died! You're lucky it was me," the red-haired one called out.

Two students leaped out from the crowd, one firing a sort of tape from his elbow while the other had a sort of shadow that emerged from his body, both of them grasping the large robot and following Bakugo. Izuku noticed Iida rushing through the robots, moving in and swiftly kicking one of the smaller ones away.

_Of course the Hero class goes in first with little hesitation! _

Finally steeling his nerves, Izuku ran.

Running diagonally to try and run around the large robot that was distracted by Bakugo and the others, Izuku heard a creaking noises and saw another of the large robots as it lifted its giant leg, seemingly intending on stomping on him.

As it brought its leg down, Izuku activated his Drift, the right part of the device slamming the metal rod into the ground, allowing him to pivot and quickly change directions, just as the large hunk of metal came slamming down. The tremor caused from it made Izuku stumble, just as a smaller robot targeted him and sped his way.

_Oh no, I'm not ready to dodge—_

Suddenly, something fired into the robot's big glowing eye, shattering it. This caused it to spin out of control a bit, moving past Izuku and running into the nearby giant robot's leg.

Looking back, Izuku saw that Yuki had his arm raised, the projectile-firing device he had created at the ready, having fired an expertly placed shot through a tiny opening. Izuku nodded his thanks and started to run forward again.

Up ahead, Izuku could see some people who had gotten ahead coming to a halt. Another of the smaller robots suddenly intercepted Izuku's path, but this time he was ready.

"Out of my way!" Izuku jumped straight for the machine, charging his Flow. As it swiped at him, his right boot shot a blast of air, which he used to go over it, landing on top of it. "Fire left!"

The Drift shot the left metal rod hard straight into the back of the robot's head. Izuku jumped off, just as the machine exploded into a small fireball, continuing his run.

_I hope everyone saw that! _Izuku had two backup rods just in case that fitted next to his Flow unit. He took one out and reloaded the left arm of the Drift, as he came to where everyone was stopped.

"When did they have time to build this?" It was a girl he didn't recognize that questioned it.

Izuku was shocked to see a giant chasm ahead of them, one that had pillars within it to stand on scattered throughout, and thin rope between each pillar.

_U.A is so resourceful… _Izuku looked above, seeing Bakugo using his explosions to merely propel himself over the chasm. _It's too far for my Flow to take me all the way!_

Someone tapped Izuku's shoulder before running past him. He looked and was surprised to find it was Mei, the girl smirking at him.

"See ya, Izuku!"

The girl jumped, pressing a switch that shot the same device she had used earlier, latching to the nearest pillar and allowing her to swing up into the air safely.

"Everyone check out my cool babies!"

The girl's laughter and exclamations died out as she continued to get farther and farther away quickly, swinging through the chasm with ease.

"I-I won't lose, Mei!" Izuku couldn't help but smile after her.

Some of the students began to traverse the ropes, but Izuku knew that would take too long. He ran towards the edge, closing his eyes so he wouldn't get too nervous, and jumped.

Air burst from his boots, sending him flying forward.

_Again!_

He fired another blast from his Flow, taking him to the first pillar. He ran on it, going straight to the edge, timing the few seconds it took before jumping off again.

_Again!_

His Flow fired again, propelling him upwards. However, he wasn't quite going to make it to the next pillar, misjudging the distance. His Flow was going to need a few seconds to recharge, and there wasn't enough time.

_Crap! _Izuku braced himself for impact, but suddenly, he felt something grabbing his shirt. He looked back and was surprised to see a severed arm there, grabbing his shirt and lifting him up.

_Is that… Ninsei's?!_

Back at the starting line, Ninsei had finally escaped the ice and had started jogging. His face was matted with sweat, mainly from the exertion of using his Quirk from so far away.

"Dammit Midoriya— Making me do all the work!"

The boy could sense how things were going with his phantom limbs, so he knew Izuku was falling fast. On a whim, Ninsei stopped and stood his ground as he exerted all the strength he could, lifting with his right arm that was attached to Izuku. To Ninsei, it was like he was trying to lift someone right in front of himself, but the farther away his limbs were, the tougher it was to use his full strength.

Back at the chasm, Izuku was lifted just enough to collide with the pillar near the top, grabbing the ledge and gasping as the wind was knocked out of him.

_I… made it! _Izuku pulled himself up, breathing heavily. He looked back at Ninsei's detached arm, which fell off him and laid limp on the ground.

"S-Sorry, that must've been difficult," Izuku said, not sure if he could somehow hear him. "I won't waste your help!"

Izuku began to charge his Flow as he looked back, seeing that he was ahead of many of his the students now.

_I can't rest, I know Kacchan and Todoroki are far ahead! _

Taking only a moment to steady his breathing, Izuku ran towards the edge of the pillar and leaped, seeing Mei ahead of him finishing crossing the chasm.

* * *

"Seems like your class is working together well, eh Power Loader?"

In the building that was being used as a faculty break room of sorts, Power Loader was watching on the screen as he witnessed the entire Izuku event transpire. Beside him, the one who spoke was the hero Death Arms.

"That's the kid that made me these, right?" Death Arms lifted an arm, showing the EMP bracelet that Izuku had designed, though these ones were more refined.

"Yeah, that's Midoriya," Power Loader stated. "He wants to become a Hero."

"Really? A kid with no Quirk like that?" Death Arms scratched his head. "Well, he'll need a lot of help to get there. I'm not into the idea of someone being that reckless though."

Power Loader shook his head. "I think it's recklessness and his lofty goals that keep him standing—"

He looked back to the TV screen, seeing the leaders of the pack, Todoroki and Bakugo, blazing ahead of everyone else. Meanwhile, Izuku had cleared the chasm and was running as fast as he could to catch up to Mei.

"And his rivals who keep him looking forward."

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The Winner Is…! (SF Arc)**


	23. The Winner Is! (SF Arc)

**Chapter Twentyone - The Winner Is…!**

The final obstacle between the students and the finish line was a field that was full of buried mines, with very faint signs of where they were. The closer one got to the end, the more there were, leaving those at the front of the pack at quite the disadvantage.

Todoroki had started to make his way through the mines, nervously looking down and making sure he didn't set any off.

Not far behind, Bakugo was fast approaching, and behind him, was Mei and Izuku.

_Gotta finish strong! I don't want to make it into the top— I want to win!_

Izuku's mind was set after seeing his classmates doing their best to help him out. He wanted to show them that he could do the rest on his own now.

"Not tired yet, Izuku?" Mei looked back as Izuku came to overtake her. The girl was sweating and quite out of breath.

"Not too much, thanks to all the training," Izuku said with a grin to her.

Mei smiled. "Well, then you better go catch up to those two, or else!"

"I'm not sure I want to know what that entails," Izuku responded with a nervous chuckle.

The two came to the minefield. Ahead, Bakugo was flying through the air towards Todoroki angrily.

"Don't think you can pass me up," Bakugo barked angrily at the boy, reaching towards him and exploding his hand.

Todoroki leaned back to dodge the attack, reaching out and freezing Bakugo's shoulder, though the blonde boy exploded the ice away and tried to attack again. The two continued to run forward at a slower pace, distracting each other by exchanging blows as they competed for first.

_Those two are so talented… But their personalities are definitely their downfall!_

Looking back, Izuku saw that people were starting to catch up to them. He then looked at the minefield before them and gulped before hesitantly starting to make his way through it, careful where he stepped.

Behind him, Mei activated her hover boots and tested a theory— As it turns out, they didn't set off the mines at all, which made her laugh.

"Aha! See you at the finish Izuku!" The girl suddenly flew past him, gliding above the ground safely.

"This is too slow, I need to—" Izuku's out loud thoughts stopped when there was suddenly an explosion where Mei was, sending her flying back to where they started in a flurry of pink smoke. "M-Mei!?"

The girl still had a smile on her face as she flew over him. "I guess I touched the ground accidentally! Hahaha—-" ...And landed on the ground. She weakly got up to her knees and gave him a shaky thumbs up.

"I-I just need a sec…" The girl collapsed, making Izuku gasp. He slid to a halt and was ready to go back to her, when something big suddenly approached beside her. "W-What the—"

It was one of the smaller robots, but on its back was the 1-H students Taka and Risako, her sharp teeth showing brightly as she smirked. The back of the robot's head had bite marks, and the exposed wiring was sparking a bit. Taka's hands were inside of the robot's head, controlling its movements.

"Don't worry Midoriya, backups here," Taka exclaimed, his glasses shining in the sunlight.

"I just kinda bit into this thing, the dork did the rest," Risako admitted.

"W-What are you planning to do?"

Taka chuckled and pushed up on his glasses. "We'll take care of that Bakugo guy, you just gotta deal with that ice guy!"

Before Izuku could question it anymore, Taka and Risako braced themselves. Taka messed with the wiring of the robot, suddenly making it tremble and shake, before it suddenly shot forward at an incredible speed.

Izuku braced himself as the robot went right through the mines, setting off a line of them in its wake, nearly sending Izuku flying.

Up ahead, Todoroki and Bakugo looked back at the explosions and the oncoming threat.

"The hell? Thought those useless scraps were left behind," Bakugo scowled.

As Bakugo prepared to intercept the oncoming robot, he was suddenly tugged to the side by something— Ninsei's arm, unbeknownst to him. He was surprised but reacted quickly before he stepped on a mine, exploding his left hand to go into the air.

"What gives?! What the—" He looked back, seeing a severed arm— Ninsei's arm he had placed when the race had started. "Did I blow someones arm off or somethin?!"

While Bakugo was distracted, the robot was coming fast. Taka laughed with a surprising amount of maniacal pleasure.

"No more being the background characters! Us Support students will take this year by storm—!"

Unfortunately, this thought was short lived. Before they could ram into Bakugo, a wall of ice suddenly shot up in front of them. The robot slammed into it and exploded, sending Taka and Risako flying off of it.

"Gah— I didn't ask for this," Risako yelled as they flew off and landed right onto some mines, getting flung away from the course.

Bakugo landed on the ground, grabbing Ninsei's arm and throwing it on the ground. He angrily stomped on it, causing painful screams from somewhere in the course, before kicking it away. Then, the boy turned to Todoroki and pointed accusingly at him.

"Why the fuck you helping me?! I'm still gonna beat you!"

"If they're working against our class, it only made sense," Todoroki commented as he turned to run again. "I'm still going to wi—"

_Swish! _Someone suddenly came in between them, stepping on a mine but propelling themselves forward as it exploded.

It was Izuku. He had decided to take a risk, and it had worked out— By using his Flow as soon as he activated one of the mines, he could fly forward and use the force of the explosion to send himself even further, clearing the distance within only a few moments.

Now he has finally cleared the mine field, landing on his feet and stumbling only for a moment as he ran with all he had, his Flow out of charges from the feat.

However, the other two were quick to spring into action, fast approaching him. Izuku didn't have the speed to escape them completely, so he knew had to do something.

"_You goddamn piece of—_" Bakugo tried to reach out and blow up Izuku's Flow backpack, but Izuku activated his Drift to pivot around the left rod, kicking the boy's hand away swiftly, Bakugo's expression turning to surprise.

Todoroki took that moment to swing his right hand, sending a wave of ice upwards towards Izuku, hitting his left leg and arm and encasing them. He then prepared his right foot, sending ice towards Bakugo who was forced to use an explosion to break it apart.

"Fire left!" At Izuku's command, the Drift shot the rod out into the ground, the force sending Izuku forward. His left arm and leg were still encased in ice, so he swung his leg hard onto the ground, shattering the ice from it.

The two Hero students seemed surprised by the swift and precise movements Izuku was able to pull off. In that split second, he looked at them confidently.

_Kacchan… I won't lose anymore!_

Now that a few seconds had passed, Izuku fired off the charge his Flow had been able to gather, propelling himself forward a ways before he landed and began to run again, ignoring the cold pain of his frozen left arm.

Behind him, explosions resounded, but he didn't look back. _Gotta run… Keep running… Keep looking forwards!_

Not far behind, Todoroki had started to form ice beneath himself to move faster across the mines, not caring if he made a path for others at this point. Bakugo began to fly across the ground using his explosions, his anger reaching critical mass after Izuku was able to fight them off and still get ahead.

"**The U.A Sports Festival, first stage— Who could have predicted such a shocking turn of events?!"**

* * *

Back at the minefield, a nice path had been cleared thanks to the antics of the Support class, thus it became an all-out sprint to make it to the end.

Yuki and Shiro were around the middle of the pack. Their Quirks didn't help their mobility, and they could see their openings dwindling.

"We don't know how many will make it through to the next around," Yuki told her as they ran, his physical training making it easy to run for such a long time.

"Then….what… do we do?" Shiro was incredibly out of breath, her robotic legs having broken during the encounter with the robots earlier, forcing her to run, which meant her short legs had to work twice as hard to keep up.

Yuki looked ahead, taking in who was there. It was mostly the Hero class students, many of them whom revealed their quirks at some point. There weren't any mines where everyone was running, but there were on either side of them.

"Follow my exact movements," Yuki told her, running ahead.

"I-I'll try," the girl responded, struggling to try and keep up.

The top three of Izuku, Bakugo, and Todoroki had made it back to the stadium now, entering the tunnel and rushing for the final stretch. Behind them, a torrent of explosions could be heard endlessly.

The mines on either side of the cleared path started to go off, catching anyone near the sides and blowing them away. Anyone not caught in them was slowed down, confused.

Nobody could fathom Yuki's accuracy as he ran, firing the small metal spheres he used with his hand slinger into the mines rapidly and precisely. While everyone was shaken up, he darted right past many of them, and Shiro followed suit, trying her absolute best.

"Gah!" Shiro finally tripped up, gasping and slowly getting up.

Yuki looked back at her, hesitating for a moment, but deciding to continue on, now only behind a few others. Shiro was disappointed, but understood, trying to steady herself as everyone started to pass her up again.

"Hey! Why are you stopping?"

Shiro looked back, seeing Mei coming in on her hover boots. She zoomed past the girl, smirking and looking back.

"I bet Yuki will be real impressed I made it to the next round," Mei shouted back at her.

This set Shiro off, igniting a fire inside of herself. She ignored the pain and ran as hard as she could, passing up as many people as she could, dipping and dodging through them with her short stature.

_I'll make all the cute boys notice me!_

* * *

"**The first person back to the stadium— Nobody saw this coming!**"

Izuku was starting to feel the exhaustion setting on as he came through the other end of the tunnel, slowing down to a jog before finally coming to a stop, breathing heavily.

"**From the Support Course— Izuku Midoriya!**"

He looked up, surprised to hear his name. The crowd was roaring with applause and cheers, thousands of eyes upon him.

_I… won?_

"**What a race! The Support course makes a big splash!**"

Behind him, Todoroki and Bakugo arrived, and more began to follow shortly after. Izuku was a bit shaken by the entire thing, looking down at his shaky hands.

_I can't believe it… I… _

"Izuku!" Mei's voice made him turn, seeing her fast approaching as she jumped on him, hugging him. "You totally did it!"

"Ah! I guess I did…" Izuku smiled but felt embarrassed about the display in front of so many people. As Mei let go of him, he saw Yuki approaching.

"You did well," Yuki spoke with a nod.

"I just… got lucky," Izuku said, rubbing the back of his head and looking away solemnly. "I really had no chance if you guys weren't all looking out for me…"

"I… made… it…"

Izuku looked over to where the new raspy voice had come from, gasping as he saw Shiro slowly approaching them, looking so exhausted that she looked like a zombie.

"S-Shiro?! Are you alright?"

The girl weakly smiled and gave them a shaky thumbs up, before falling back to rest.

"I'm impressed," Yuki said with a small, rare smile. "We've all put up a good look for the Support course for sure… Except for your frozen arm."

Izuku gasped, remembering that it was encased in ice. They quickly broke his arm free and he shivered, feeling a painful numbness in it.

"Don't worry Izuku, I got this," Mei said, grabbing his arm and holding it against herself. "Warm huh?"

Izuku's face turned red, but he didn't even know what to say or do, feeling the usual large, soft threats that had always made Mei's lack of boundaries difficult to deal with.

Nearby, Todoroki was looking down at his hand, a bit of frost having collected on his skin from using his Quirk quite a bit. He then looked up into the stands, spotting his father, Endeavor, whose expression was intense and serious, the flames on his body blazing as brightly as ever.

"Hmph…" The boy with dual-colored hair looked away defiantly. "This doesn't mean anything."

Bakugo as well was dealing with his defeat, absolutely seething as he held his throbbing arms, having overused his Quirk a bit.

"Damn it… Not enough…"

He clenched his fists painfully, gritting his teeth before letting out a yell of frustration.

* * *

"The first game of the first year stage is finally over— Here's the results!"

Everyone had now gathered again with their classes, having calmed down and rested a bit. Midnight presented the big hologram screen once more on the stage, where everyone's placement in the top was displayed.

Some of the notable ones included:

**#1 - Izuku Midoriya**

…

**#6 - Adatari Yuki**

…

**#18 - Mei Hatsume**

…

**#40 - Minami Shiro**

"The first 42 to reach the end will be moving on to the next round— But don't worry, we've got plenty of activities to show off your stuff if you didn't make it," Midnight exclaimed to them.

"Just us four huh," Izuku thought aloud.

"It's no surprise, the Hero classes are good," Yuki said with a nod.

Beside them, Ken let out a loud yawn. "Well, I didn't get last, so that's cool."

Nearby, they didn't notice the whimpering figure of the last place student, at least among those who finished: Soga Ninsei, who was holding himself with his bruised arms and crying, feeling like he had failed his legacy(which didn't really exist anyways.) Taka and Risako, whom had been disqualified for being flung out of the course, comforted him, also feeling the pain of failing their mission.

"The real challenge begins now— The press cavalry will be all over it!" Midnight licked her lips, "So do your best!"

With a flick of the whip in her hand, the screen behind her changed to a slot machine wheel yet again, building up the tension for what the next game would be.

"Now then, here is the second game! I already know what it is~ What could it be, what could it beee?"

"It's this!"

Everyone was surprised by what appeared on the screen:

**[Cavalry Battle]**

"A cavalry battle? How's that going to work," someone questioned nearby.

Izuku thought about it for a moment, remembering doing such battles as a kid, though being Quirkless had often left him at quite the disadvantage.

"Let me explain," Midnight continued to quell any confusion. The screen changed to show diagrams of what she was talking about. "The participants can form teams of 2 to 4 people as they wish. It's basically the same as a normal cavalry battle—"

The woman turned to look at the students, a smirk appearing on her face.

"However, based on the results of the previous game, each participant has been given a certain point value!"

Everyone began to mutter and talk about the point system, explaining it to each other before Midnight got a chance. Angered, she snapped the whip hard to get their attention.

"You guys don't hold back even though I'm talking, huh?!" She sighed and continued, "That's right, the points assigned will go up by 5's starting from the bottom."

Midnight couldn't suppress a grin as she continued with the next part.

"And the point value assigned to first place is…."

"Ten Million!"

* * *

All Might had left the first year stage at the conclusion of the first round, and headed for the third year stage.

He wanted to be there for the first year students who were looking up to him and had ignited his heroic spark once more, but he also had another duty to attend to that required him to move between the events.

At the third year stage, the next event was set to go underway— A relay race, where the contestants would race in teams and pass the baton to the next person to continue the next stretch. The twist appeared to be the many obstacles that would appear in their path.

All Might gazed down from the stands, his eyes scanning before he saw who he was looking for.

_That boy, Midoriya… He seems like he could make fine candidate, but you…_

Down below, a well-built boy with blonde hair and very soft and kind face was stretching in preparation for the race.

_Show me that you've got the Heroic spirit to be my successor… Togata Mirio._

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: One in Ten Million**


	24. One in Ten Million (SF Arc)

**Chapter Twentytwo - One in Ten Million**

The air had grown thick with tension after what Midnight had just said. Everyone looked towards a single person, their eyes lighting up with fiery passion as they realized what they would need to do to guarantee their place in the next round.

_T-Ten Million?!_ Izuku internally gasped, frozen in place.

Compared to the other numbers that counted up by 5's, ten million was a crazy, astronomical number. It meant that whoever was wearing it in the end would be in first place and guaranteed all their members getting into the next stage of the festival.

_I get it— This is part of being a Hero… In order for you to be at the top, you have to have others eyeing the #1 spot!_

Looking out at the crowd, mainly to avoid the ire of the other participants around him, Izuku was hoping to see All Might somewhere out there amongst the sea of faces.

_So this is what it feels like to be you…_

"That's right," Midnight said wickedly, noticing the sudden intense air, "It's a chance for those at the bottom to overthrow the top!

A hand rested on Izuku's shoulder and he looked over, seeing it was Yuki's. Mei and Shiro stood closer to him as well, the three of his friends looking around at the others that were maliciously plotting against Izuku.

"You guys…" Izuku smiled, feeling a bit of the nervousness fading. "Thank you."

_The eyes on me are different from Middle School,_ Izuku thought. _Instead of looking down at me out of spite, they're looking at me as someone to overcome— But this is what I wanted! Everyone, watch me!_

"Now I'll explain the rules of the Cavalry Battle," Midnight continued.

Everyone listened on as Midnight explained how the battle would work: The 'rider' would wear a headband with the total points of their team, and any stolen headbands must be work from the neck up.

Then she explained the most important part: Even if your team falls or you have no headbands, you aren't out.

"That means we can be as reckless as we need to be," Mei said excitedly. "It's gonna be crazy out there!"

"You all have fifteen minutes to create your team," Midnight told them. A timer appeared on the screen, set for 15 minutes, and began to count down.

"I assume we have our team, correct?" Yuki looked to the other three, who nodded. "Good."

"Even if we wanted to go to different teams… I think we ticked a bunch of people off," Shiro said. She noticed someone glaring right at her, a boy she had passed up at the last second and likely cost him the top 42 slot. She gulped.

Mei laughed it off. "So what! We'll just kick their butts again!" She nudged Izuku, who chuckled nervously. "I've got plenty of stuff for us!"

The girl clapped her hands and smiled triumphantly, but after a few moments, nothing happened. She frowned and looked around.

"Be right back!" Mei sped away before anyone could say anything.

"I… should we be worried?" Izuku looked to the others, who shrugged.

"Midoriya, well done in the race," came the formal tone of Iida. Izuku looked to see him approaching, a friendly expression on his face. "You're already getting your dreams across."

"Thank you! I, well—" Izuku trailed off, wanting to explain that he didn't do it alone, because otherwise he felt bad.

"We all knew he could do it," Yuki interjected.

Izuku sighed, not wanting to go into how he felt about taking the credit. Iida smiled and nodded, looking to Yuki, who was as tall and broad-shouldered as he was.

"I saw your name on the results— Yuki correct?" Iida offered him a hand. "I am Iida Tenya of Class 1-A. You, as well, seem very capable. Have you considered becoming a Hero?"

These words were surprising to Izuku. He looked to Yuki, whose calm expression didn't waiver as he briefly took Iida's hand and shook it.

"I'm hoping to discover what I want during this festival," Yuki responded.

"That makes sense. Well, I figure you Support students are sticking together, so I need to go join a team," Iida said, giving them a polite bow before trudging away.

Izuku and Shiro eyed Yuki, til he finally turned and looked down at them.

"..:What?"

"I-I didn't know you had any interest at all in Hero work," Izuku stammored.

"Of course, you've been focused on your own goals," Yuki stated. "And no, don't apologize— We're all looking out for our own dreams right now, as it should be."

Izuku let those words sink in for a few moments, and before he could say anything else, Mei returned with a big wooden chest, slamming it onto the ground. She tapped the top of it and beamed happily at them.

"Here we go here we go! That Ninsei didn't deliver it dramatically like I told him to," Mei exclaimed.

"I... I feel like he needs to rest," Izuku said honestly.

"Either way, tadah!" Mei opened the chest, revealing a variety of gadgets inside. "All of the glorious babies that got approved for the festival!"

Izuku and Shiro gawked at the treasure chest of goodies, while Mei stood proudly, letting out a triumphant laughter.

"There's no end to the marvelous babies I've created for this moment, and with everyone eyeing the ten million— The investors are sure to see and appreciate them all!"

Starting to pull out some of what Mei had created, Izuku was reminded just how much of a genius the girl was.

"Is this…?" Izuku was holding a metal backpack of sorts with two jets on the bottom.

"Ahh yes, that's modeled after a certain Hero's backpack, just with my own spin," Mei explained.

"Could it be… The Buster Hero, Air Jet?"

The girl laughed. "Yes of course! His agency's close so I got to tour it before!"

"Ehh? You never told me about that," Izuku said skeptically. "Why didn't we ever go?"

"You never asked! I've got loads of babies inspired by Heroes I've met," Mei continued.

"Really? Let me see!"

Shiro and Yuki watched the two nerding out over Hero lore and creations for a few minutes, not sure if they should interject or not.

"They're basically a perfect match," Shiro muttered to Yuki.

He nodded. "It would seem that way."

Shiro scooted closer. "Just like us huh?"

Without responding, Yuki walked towards the chest of Mei's creations, resulting in a huff of frustration from Shiro. The boy picked out a device, examining it. Mei noticed him and came over quickly.

"Ah! I bet your eyes spotted this baby instantly," Mei said. "Like it?"

"...May I borrow it?"

Mei grinned. "Of course! And Shiro, here's the baby you had me look at—"

* * *

It wasn't long before the timer went off, and the battle was set to begin, but across the campus at the third year stage, Principal Nezu was approached by two dark-suited individuals.

"Principal Nezu? We're here representing the Folded Note Hero Institution," the man spoke. He was tall with black hair hanging in front of his face. Beside him was a shorter woman with short brown hair and heavy bags under her eyes, her eyes looking around skeptically.

The Principal was sitting in his booth, watching the festivities below, with only a few select others inside. He paid the guests no mind, smiling at the events unfolding on the field.

"Uh…" The man glanced at the woman, shrugging before continuing, "The FNHI? From America—"

"I'm sorry, this is an important event, " the Principal responded without looking back at them. "We'll have to talk after."

The man gritted his teeth, ready to say something bad, but the woman stepped forward and took the initiative.

"We're Pro Heroes from the FNHI— I'm Lady Vortex and this is Spiralhide, we're here to investigate the death of Paper Mache," the woman spoke sternly.

Nezu didn't budge, so Lady Vortex slammed her hand down onto the table before him and glared at him. Finally, he sighed and looked over at her.

"I'm afraid this isn't exactly a matter for U.A anymore," the Principal told her.

"When an American Hero dies on foreign soil, it's your problem, forever," the woman spoke with increasing anger in her voice. "Now will you cooperate?"

Suddenly, several figures arose from the ground, surrounding the two. They were exact copies of each other, appearing just like the original: The Clone Hero Ectoplasm, wearing his usual trenchcoat with only his head and leg replacements visible.

"What's this now? This isn't necessary," Spiralhide began to say nervously, holding up his hands innocently.

"Please just enjoy the festivities," Principal Nezu told them. "You should go by the first year stage if you're looking to scout out a potential future Hero."

"Tch… Let's get out of here," Lady Vortex said, turning and walking off.

"Apologies, we'll be going," Spiralhide spoke, nodding to the Principal before exiting the room as well.

"Should we be worried about that? I can watch them," Ectoplasm and his clones spoke in unison.

The Principal returned to the view of the stadium field below, not seeming bothered in the slightest.

"I think they'll be fine, they're obviously grieving— let them find a way to fill that void."

Ectoplasm wasn't sure what he was talking about, but he also knew that Nezu's intuition was unparalleled, so if he had a deduction it was smart to accept it.

Somewhere nearby, All Might was watching intently, feeling enlightened by what he was seeing from the boy named Mirio in the festival...

* * *

After the buzzer had sounded, marking the end of their fifteen minutes, the crowd began to grow louder as anticipation built and Present Mic began to announce what was happening.

"**Hey, wake up Eraser— After fifteen minutes to choose their teams, twelve cavalry teams are lined up on the field!**"

"...There's some interesting teams down there," Aizawa's laid back tone could be heard.

"**Everybody ready your battle cry, it's time for U.A's bloody battle! Light the signal fires!"**

Down on the field, twelve teams were formed into a circle facing towards the center of the field, with plenty of room to start between them all.

Izuku tightened the points headband around his head, which read "10,000,350" as their point total in big bold red letters.

"Are you guys ready?" He looked down to his friends. "Mei? Shiro? Yuki?"

Since the four had made their group nearly instantly, they had lots of time to plan things out. Izuku was decided to be the rider for the group, since he was relatively lightweight and was the one who needed to shine the most. The front 'horse' was Yuki, due to his good strength and durability and the fact that his eyesight was extremely valuable. On Izuku's right as Mei, her goggles on and hoverboots ready to be activated for their plan. Shiro on the left had been given leg enhancers from Mei that increased her height and stability, and on her back was the maneuvering backpack.

Izuku was well kitted at this point. He had to ditch his Drift as it wouldn't function with the cavalry setup, but now he was wearing a certain glove device on his left hand and Yuki's slinger glove on his right, on top of the Flow control gloves beneath so he could still utilize that.

"I hope you're ready to show off all of our babies," Mei told him excitedly.

"I-I'll try my best," Izuku told her. He looked down to the left glove, which had a sort of steel cylindrical part that went over his forearm. "So you made this even better, Shiro?"

The girl chuckled. "Of course! Since I guess it was too lame in the entrance exam— This is my Strength Turbine 2.0!"

The device was meant to throw out a burst of air to extend the range of your punch. As Shiro described it, it was capable of putting out five-times the energy of a punch delivered after about a second, via spinning turbines in the cylindrical part of the glove.

"Thank you all… I promise I'll make us shine!"

The other three nodded, getting focused as it was about time to begin.

"**Lets go! It's time to countdown to the battle royale!"**

"**3…"**

"**2…"**

"**1…"**

Izuku lowered the kabuki-like goggles he had created over his eyes, as Midnight raised her whip and proclaimed:

"START!"

As expected, all 11 other teams instantly made a break for Izuku's team.

"It's exactly what we figured," Yuki stated.

"Let's give em hell! They won't scare us off," Shiro exclaimed.

"_Plan A!_"

At Izuku's call, they rushed forward fearlessly into the fray. Izuku brought his right hand forward in a sweeping motion as he fired Yuki's slinger glove, firing off a handful of small black spheres that, once hitting the ground, exploded into smoke, creating a line of cover for them.

"**Holy smokes! The Support group goes into the belly of the beast!**"

Within the smoke, Yuki could detect any possible movement, while Izuku's goggles detected heat signatures as well. They came to a halt within the smoke, looking around.

"A few teams stopped, probably got surprised," Izuku called out to them with a hand over his mouth to not inhale the smoke. Many of the teams were still coming towards them however. "If we go left, we can break through those teams over there!"

Yuki prepared, taking on all of Izuku's weight as the girls activated their devices. After activating Mei's hoverboots and the jetpack on Shiro's back, the group all leaned to the left. From the smoke cover, they suddenly came drifting out, surprising the two groups on their left, which he recognized as Class 1-B students.

_Sorry, but I'm taking that! _Izuku thought, reaching out towards the familiar figure of Tetsutetsu who was the rider for his team.

Suddenly, vines shot up in front of Tetsutetsu. Izuku was surprised by this, seeing the girl in Tetsutetsu's team with vine-like hair gazing at Izuku seriously.

_She reacted that quickly? Her other teammates weren't ready!_

As Iuku was forced to bring his hand back, Tetsutetsu's metal-coated arm burst through the vines, reaching out towards Izuku.

"I gotcha Midoriya!"

Izuku wasn't ready for such a fast counter attack, but luckily Yuki was. The boy leaned back, moving Izuku just enough that Tetsutetsu's fingers barely touched the headband.

"Not yet!" As Izuku retorted, he reared his left fist backwards and then threw a punch towards their opponents. After a whirring sound emitted and the cylindrical part of the Power Turbine glowed a bit, a powerful shot of air fired forward, blasting through the rest of the vines and made their entire group slide back a bit as they held on to Tetsutetsu. Thanks to his metal-like body though, he didn't go very far.

While this was happening, Izuku had his right hand lowered so Mei could reload the slinger. After tapping his arm to signify it was ready, Izuku knew they needed to escape.

"_Plan C!_"

This was their "run away" plan, in case they were in a sticky situation. Yuki analyzed their situation with his Quirk-enhanced eyes.

"There!" He led the charge, turning them as they darted away.

"Hey! Come back here," Tetsutetsu called after them angrily.

Izuku's group suddenly stopped in place. Confused, they looked down to see that they were sinking into the ground.

"Someone's Quirk…" Izuku looked back to Tetsutetsu's team which was running towards them. The person acting as the front horse had a peculiar visible jaw, and the ground seemed to be changing in front of them, letting them sink into it. "Mei! Shiro!"

The girls activated their devices, slowly pulling them out before finally escaping it. However, another team was upon them from the other direction.

"Gettem Jiro!" The rider, who was apparently an invisible girl, made the callout. The girl named Jiro, who was the front horse while two very largely-built boys were in the back, shot out her headphone jack-like earlobes towards Izuku.

_We're totally off balance right now! _

They were heading right for the assault. Luckily, Izuku thought to use their momentum, getting his left fist ready. He then punched out towards the oncoming tendrils, sending a blast of air stronger than before thanks to their momentum, blowing them back to Jiro. The two boys in the back of the team made it easy to withstand the wind, but it was enough of a distraction to allow Izuku's team to regain their footing and run past.

"**Absolute war has broken out now! Under two minutes have passed, but it's getting heated! Instead of just going for the ten million, going for second through fourth place is smart too!"**

Looking around, Izuku noted that more teams were now clashing with each other. He wanted to take a breather for a moment, but he figured it wasn't going to last for long— And it didn't.

"On our right!" As Mei said this, they looked towards what appeared to be a single person running at them.

"Eh? Isn't this a team competition?" Confused, Izuku watched the boy who appeared to have made a sort of shell from his back running at them.

"We shouldn't stay still for long," Yuki pointed out.

"Eeeek!"

They all looked to Shiro as she made a noise of horror. She was struggling to pull her left leg up from the ground.

"Something sticky got me," the girl said quickly in a panic.

"Eheheh… Don't underestimate us Heroes," came an unfamiliar voice from ahead.

Looking back at their oncoming opponent, Izuku was shocked to see a boy and girl gazing out from the skin-like shell.

"I saw them before," Yuki spoke. "Mineta, Asui, Shoji. I witnessed their abilities in the race."

Izuku looked towards Shiro on his left. "You can't escape?"

"No! And if I lose these leg enhancers we're totally screwed!"

"Izuku! Smoke it up! We can take them," Mei exclaimed.

"Got it!" Izuku readied to fire off the smoke bombs Mei had reloaded for him. However, from the shadows of the shell, a long tongue shot out quickly. Izuku barely managed to move his head to dodge. "W-What the heck is that?"

"Tsuyu Asui, her Quirk gives her a frog's abilities, from the looks of it," Yuki stated.

The tongue receded back quickly and shot out again. This time Izuku reached out to try and grab it, but was surprised as it wrapped around his right arm.

"They're coming closer!"

"I… know…!" Izuku struggled against the tongue's strength, but an idea popped into his head. He straightened out his arm and fired the smoke bomb right at their oncoming opponents.

The horse of the team, Shoji, wasn't able to move quick enough, so he created an extra arm to shield from the attack. However, the smoke pellet exploded, leaving them blind for a moment, making Asui's tongue retract and stopping their progress.

"That won't stop us! They're still stuck, so keep running forward Shoji," Mineta called out, coughing from the smoke.

After hesitating, Mineta's team ran through the smoke, they were surprised to find that their target were gone.

"W-What?!"

On the ground was the leg enhancers, one stuck firmly from the sticky ball that Mineta had thrown.

"Good idea Midoriya, if they had two riders then so can we," Yuki commented.

Having abandoned Shiro's leg enhancers, the girl was now holding onto Izuku from behind, very saddened about the whole thing. Mei had moved to support the back while Yuki maintained the front.

"I-I'm so sorry! Now I'm totally worthless," Shiro said, sniffling.

"That's not true! Just do your best, Shiro," Izuku told her.

Only a few minutes had passed, but the battle was just heating up. Amongst the shouts and scuffles going on all around, the sound of an explosion from nearby was nearly deafening to Izuku due to its familiarity.

Turning towards the noise, Izuku could see Bakugo and his team rushing them down. He was using his explosions to propel them, while the girl whose skin was all pink was creating some sort of substance to make them slide across the ground.

"_Deeeekuuuuu!"_

"Do we run?" Yuki tensed up as they faced their oncoming threat.

"No, we'll stand our ground! Shiro, watch our backs," Izuku said confidently.

"Got it!"

Staring down the blonde angry boy coming at them quickly, Izuku couldn't help but smirk a bit.

_We've already fought hard, but the real challenge starts now._

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Ripple Effect (SF Arc)**


	25. Ripple Effect (SF Arc)

**Chapter Twentythree - Ripple Effect**

Bakugo's team was coming in fast, so there wasn't any time to think, only to act.

"We're taking his headband!" Izuku made sure his own headband was tight as he made that exclamation.

"Got it," Yuki responded, starting to move. Holding up the rear, Mei was using her hover boots to help sustain the weight, allowing Yuki to truly control the charge forward.

"Shiro! Load the other ammo," Izuku told the girl, reaching his right arm back. She grabbed the metal balls that Yuki often used with his slinger, loading several into the contraption. "No matter what, don't waiver!"

As the two teams collided, the crowd exploded with cheers.

"**Class 1-A vs. Class 1-H! The tempers are exploding on the field!**"

Hanta Sero, the black-haired boy in the back shot a tape-like strip from his elbow at them, which Yuki didn't dodge, continuing straight in. The tape stuck to Yuki's chest firmly.

"I gottem," the boy said confidently.

However, Yuki moved to the left, causing the tape to wrap around the red haired boy, Eijiro Kirishima, in the front.

"Dammit," Kirishima grumbled, swerving them around to face Izuku's group, so they wouldn't get tangled up in the tape. The substance being created by their other member, Mina Ashido, allowed them to slide around with ease, both groups facing each other.

"**It's a dangerous waltz! Who will come out with the ten million?**"

"You won't get away from me Deku," Bakugo growled. He reached one hand back, exploding to propel them forward. Kirishima in front hardened his body, as he crashed straight into Yuki.

Izuku's team was sent stumbling back, with Yuki taking the brunt of the force, the wind knocked out of him.

"Yuki! I'll sever the tape—"

"No," Yuki interrupted Izuku, gasping a bit from the hit. "We're… taking them head on… right?"

Sero pulled hard on the tape to keep them close. Bakugo smirked wickedly as he made another explosion behind them, sending them sliding across the liquid Ashido was creating, slamming into them again. This time, Bakugo reached out towards Izuku while he was off balance from the hit.

_I can't move in time—!_

Suddenly, Izuku felt a jolt as he was propelled up into the air. Confused, he flailed around a bit before looking back and seeing that Shiro was holding onto him tightly, having activated the jetpack.

"I'm… gonna be… useful!" The girl was shaking from the fear of going up so high.

"B-But—" Izuku had no time to complain, as explosions occurred and he looked down, seeing Bakugo rapidly flying up to them.

"_You're mine now!_" Bakugo had a wicked smile as he reached them, bringing his left hand forward, creating an explosion that was a feint, using his right hand to explode to the side while Izuku was blinded by the smoke. He reached towards his head and quickly.

"O-On the right!"

At Shiro's call, Izuku activated his Flow, firing a shot of air from his left boot, using the momentum to spin in the air and kick Bakugo's hand away. However, the blonde boy was ready for a follow-up, grabbing Izuku's leg with his other hand and dragging him in closer.

"Hope you enjoyed the spotlight, because it's comin' back to me!" Bakugo grabbed Izuku's headband, laughing darkly as Izuku was in a bad position to do anything about it—

But then Shiro bit him. The girl leaned over from Izuku's back and chomped down onto Bakugo's hand, hard.

The crowd was as shocked as Bakugo, who loosened his grip for just a moment as he pulled the headband off. It fell between the three in the air and Bakugo tried to grab it again, but Izuku quickly aimed and shot a metal ball from his slinger glove, aiming for it to fall down to Yuki and Mei below.

Sero detached the tape that was on Yuki and readied himself. "I'll get the headband—"

"No, you gotta get Bakugo or we might get disqualified or something! Quick," Ashido exclaimed.

"That's right! Such aerial battles are a technicality, but if they touch the ground I'll have to throw a red flag," Midnight explained, confirming their suspicions.

"Gahh dammit!" Sero couldn't fire both of his tapes at once, needing the other arm to catch Bakugo safely. He shot out his tape at their falling rider, pulling him to his team, who caught him with ease. "You gotta tell us before you just blast off!"

Bakugo didn't respond, his anger boiling. After getting caught, he sat up instantly and looked for the ten million headband.

Yuki and Mei were moving into position to grab it, but suddenly, a wall of ice shot up in front of them, blocking their path. A spiral of ice then formed, which allowed the headband to land and slide down towards another group that had come to the scene—

Team Todoroki.

"**Ahh! Team Todoroki snatches it in the end!**"

The boy with dual hair colors tied the headband around his neck, gazing up at the falling Izuku, their eyes locking.

"If you really want it, come get it," Todoroki spoke coolly, before his team turned and ran away.

"Tch… Shiro, can you use the backpack to help us land," Izuku asked her.

"I-It's not working" The girl was trying to press the button, but only a sputtering noise was made. She looked back at it and gasped, seeing that there was a bunch of the strange, purple sticky balls covering the vent.

Not far off, Team Mineta had returned, the small boy laughing evilly as he saw them realize what he had done.

"Like I said, never underestimate us! Bwahaha—"

"Um, Mineta," the frog-like girl Asui interrupted,, "What happened to our headband?"

"Haha… Huh?!" The boy panicked, realizing that it was gone. "N-No way! When did that happen?!"

Yuki and Mei rushed around the ice wall, just barely managing to catch the falling Izuku and Shiro. They sat up and readied themselves, but Izuku looked worriedly to Yuki.

"Are you alright?"

"Of course," Yuki responded. There were some visible bruises from colliding with Kirishima twice, so it was safe to say that Yuki's strength and endurance was nothing to scoff at.

"I lost the headband…" Izuku tightened his fists, gazing over towards where Team Bakugo was. "We have to get it back from Todoroki!"

"Izuku! Izuku!" Mei seemed excited, so he looked back to her. "I think I've got an idea!"

Nodding, Izuku and his team turned and began to leave the area. Team Bakugo was ready to pursue them, but their headband was suddenly taken while they were distracted.

"Ahh, Class A is so predictable," the boy who had stolen their headband said with a wry smile. "But that Support class is really helping us out here."

"What the hell did you just say, you background character?!" Bakugo was fuming as he turned towards the team that was running away now. "That fuckin' nerd lost the ten million, so we're killing this guy first!"

"C-Could you maybe say it in a different way," Sero muttered, as they could feel the intense aura of hatred emitting from Bakugo.

With the headband lost, nobody was in pursuit of Team Izuku, so they were able to make a clean getaway.

"Now that we don't have a headband, we're full on offense," Izuku spoke.

Mei chuckled. "I've got an idea to snatch the headband back for sure! It involves breaking my babies but…"

Izuku looked back at the girl, who seemed conflicted. He knew how much the festival meant to her, showing off her creations to the many investors that would be watching in the stands and on TV. But before he could say anything, her smile returned and she looked up to him.

"It'll be worth it! Then you and I can make our messages clear in the next stage," Mei exclaimed.

Smiling, Izuku nodded to her. "Then I'll trust you like I always do, Mei."

The path to Todoroki was obvious. They passed by several teams who had become trapped by his ice, seemingly defeated and given up on moving.

"Do you feel that? There's electricity in the air," Yuki commented. "I believe Todoroki has that boy named Kaminari who can make electricity."

"You were really paying attention to everything, huh" Izuku complimented him.

"My eyes let me analyze data very quickly, I'm always watching," Yuki confirmed. "But from what I've seen, he can't control it well, so they must have a way of mitigating the risk."

As Izuku thought about that, he looked up at the screen near the top of the stadium as Present Mic began to speak again.

"**Were halfway there! Let's check on the current standings— Eh..?"**

On screen, it showed that only four teams had any points at all, while the rest were sitting at zero.

"**It looks like Class A isn't doing so hot…**"

_Because of all the media coverage about Class 1-A… Were they targeted?_

Izuku remembered seeing Bakugo get his headband stolen as they fled the scene. He recognized the one who had taken it, recalling his name to be Monoma from Class 1-B, a very proud and confident person.

_I see… So maybe Class 1-B took an offensive against their rivals, _Izuku realized. _Perfect! We're the outliers, so all that's left for us…_

As Izuku's team came face to face with Team Todoroki, the boy suddenly created a thick wall of ice to block them both off from the other teams, giving them their own portion of the field to face off in.

_Is to get our points back!_

* * *

Up in the stands, the two American Pro Heroes, Lady Vortex and Spirahide, had entered the first year stage, gazing down at the chaotic battle going on down below.

"Honestly, that damned animal," the woman spoke bitterly. "Who does he think he is?"

"Well we're not in America, and this is his school…" Spiralhide scratched the back of his head, trying to think of what to say, so he didn't draw the ire of his fellow Hero. "We should really take it easy a bit."

Lady Vortex scowled. "We aren't here on a goddamn vacation, I—" She stopped abruptly as she spotted something on the large stadium screen.

Confused, Spiralhide followed her gaze, his eyes widening a bit.

"Hey that's the kid, the one Paper Mache mentioned," the man said. "He fits the description anyways."

Lady Vortex watched the field intently, seeing Team Izuku facing down Team Todoroki. She suddenly began to laugh to herself, gripping the seat in front of her, a few people around them looking at them quizzically.

"Y-You alright?" Spiralhide looked at her worriedly.

"That damned Mache… He sent us on a recruiting mission," the woman said.

"What? How do you know that?"

Lady Vortex shrugged. "You know how he'd always go on and on about how American heroes were corrupt scumbags? How he wished more would step up to do something right with the world?"

Spiralhide nodded and looked down at the field, starting to understand what she meant.

"This what he meant when he told us to investigate U.A before he left?"

With a sigh, Lady Vortex took a seat, crossing her legs as she got comfortable.

"Let's see what they've got, then we can decide that for sure."

* * *

Team Izuku and Team Todoroki were staring each other down, the former nervously glancing at the wall the ice-user had created.

"You haven't shown off your Quirk at all," Todoroki spoke, gazing at Izuku with a calm expression. "Maybe the Support Class just doesn't have anything flashy."

Yuki spoke before Izuku could, saying, "From what I've seen by watching you, I believe you haven't shown off your full Quirk either."

Todoroki's eyes narrowed as he looked down at Yuki, and at the same time, Izuku noticed that Iida was the lead horse for Todoroki's team. However, gone was the polite yet stern expressions Izuku had seen before— Now the bespectacled boy was full of determination to win.

"You've got nothing to gain from fighting us," Izuku pointed out, "So what's this about?"

"It means we've acknowledged you as a threat," Kaminari spoke, a big grin on his face.

"Well we're totally honored! You guys should give us the ten million so we can face off some more," Mei exclaimed.

"What? Never! You guys aren't even from the Hero class—"

"Kaminari," Iida spoke sternly as he cut him off. "That's enough. Obviously Midoriya and the other Support students are just as capable as we are."

"Unfortunately it won't matter from here," Todoroki stated.

Izuku gulped. The confidence of the Hero students ahead of them was difficult to face. Something about them seemed more intense than Bakugo's team, and Izuku knew exactly why.

"Todoroki is inspiring them, he's probably a natural born leader," Izuku thought aloud. "And he's strong…

"Then we need to break him! If he falls, they'll all go down too," Shiro commented.

"Easier said than done… Mei, are you ready back there?"

"Yup! Kept them talking long enough," Mei said with a chuckle. "Just let me know when you're ready to go really really fast!"

Izuku took a deep breath. He reached behind himself, taking out the second backup rod he had to reload his Drift device. Holding it in his right hand, he lifted his left fist towards Team Todoroki.

"Let's go get them!"

With that, Yuki and Mei charged them forwards. Todoroki didn't budge, while his team tensed up a bit.

"Shouldn't we run away til time's up," the girl on their team named Momo Yaoyorozu wondered aloud. "This is pointless…"

"Just be ready for my cue,," Todoroki said. "Let's go, Iida!"

"Right!" Iida led the charge forwards.

"**The Support crew finds themselves in another intense scuffle as they target the #1!"**

The two teams were coming at each other quickly. Izuku could now see that Todoroki had several headbands, but they were turned inside out so you couldn't see the values inside.

Todoroki raised his right hand, sending a lane of ice straight ahead, forcing Yuki and Mei to veer to one side. As they moved left to dodge, Todoroki's team followed suit, leaving them in a much smaller space now.

"Are they trying to run right into us?" Shiro was holding Izuku very tightly, making him get a bit uncomfortable as she was panicking a bit. "Is that allowed?!"

"I-I don't know, just—" Izuku sighed. "Yuki, don't stop!"

"As if you had to tell me," the boy replied, his breathing a bit heavy from the damage he'd taken earlier.

As the two teams came close, Todoroki lifted his right hand. This action made the entirety of Izuku's team flinch and hesitate.

"Kaminari! Yaoyorozu!"

Momo produced a large cowl made up of insulated material from her back using her Quirk. Iida held one end while she held the other, covering the three as Kaminari began to use his Quirk.

"Now for a real Heroic power! _Indiscriminate Shock!_" Kaminari smirked as he sent a wave of electricity forward, bolts striking out everywhere at random.

As the shocks emitted out, Izuku slammed the metal rod he had into the wall of ice, sticking it into it, attracting a lot of the electricity. He held onto it, his hand insulated enough from the glove, but several strands of electricity still shocking him a bit across his exposed skin of his arm.

"Keep… going!" Izuku was wincing, holding onto the rod steadily. Izuku was taking the brunt of the leftover eletrivity, while Yuki felt it a bit and Shiro and Mei were completely fine.

Letting out a determined yell, the group pushed onwards. This surprised Team Todoroki, watching as Izuku tore through the ice wall as he kept the metal rod inside of it as they moved. He could hear a loud whirring noise, but he had no idea what it was, continuing to stay strong.

"It's not going to work anymore," Todoroki commented. "Back up!"

Todoroki moved his hand, creating pillars of ice that jutted out sideways from the wall of ice he had created earlier. They started to back up, Kaminari's lightning ceasing as he took on a very braindead look, just able to mindlessly move his legs at this point.

Team Izuku ducked and dodged the pillars of ice, barely scraping by them as they continued in on them. Eventually a thick sheet of ice came across right in front of them.

"Watch out—!"

Shiro's yell wasn't going to help. There was no way they weren't going to crash into the wall and probably get toppled over or have Yuki outright get KO'd from the collision.

_Not yet! I haven't done enough yet… _

_Everybody's watching!_

_I… I need to go… further... beyond! _

Izuku stood a bit and leaned forward, rearing his left hand back and slamming his fist against the ice wall out of frustration, just before they were going to collide with it. The whirring noise intensified, before the ice wall _exploded_, shattering and sending the fragments of ice flying towards Team Todoroki in a strong gust of wind

The team held up the thick insulated blanket to stop the shards of ice, having to specifically protect the mindless Kaminari, while struggling to keep their footing against the intense wind pressure.

_Was that his Quirk? That was too powerful, _Todoroki thought as he tried to see what was happening.

On Izuku's left arm, the Power Turbine had been overcharged by the lightning going across him. In his blind frustration, he had accidentally saved them from defeat by utilizing it at the last moment, sending the most powerful blast of air the device could have managed before exploding on his arm.

"Midoriya!" Yuki looked back at him, surprised, seeing the smoke rising from his left arm.

Izuku's face was fully determined, as he gritted his teeth against the pain of punching a solid wall of ice mixed with the burning pain on his left arm.

"Mei… do it… now!"

As Izuku yelled this, Mei kicked the heel of her hoverboots hard onto the ground a few times, til it caused a loud noise within them as the regulator was broken. Without it, they sent out an intense propulsion, using up all of their energy in one go, propelling them forward.

"I can't see… We need to move—" As the wind began to die down, Iida's words were cut off as they saw Team Izuku upon them already.

Todoroki was shocked as he saw Izuku coming for him, the look in his eyes miles ahead of the skeptical, fearful looks he was giving earlier. He started to raise his right hand, but Izuku surprised him by grabbing it hard. Todoroki scoffed and sent ice up his arm, encasing it, but Izuku didn't budge.

"Yuki! Get it!"

Todoroki's eyes widened as he glanced downwards. He hadn't expected anyone other than Izuku attempting to grab it. Yuki had a small grin at that moment as he locked eyes with Todoroki—

And reached his right hand upwards, snatching one of the headbands from his neck.

Team Izuku then flew past, Izuku only able to stay on thanks to Shiro and Mei's efforts to hold onto him. As Mei's hoverboots went out, they were still heading straight for the wall of the stadium stands.

"Hold on!" Mei pressed the switch to shoot out the metal zipline-like device from her belt. It slammed into the ground, and they used it to slide in an arc, slinging themselves back towards the center of the field, where they finally managed to slide to a stop, everyone breathing intensely from the exertion of such a risque plan.

"Oh my god… We made it," Shiro said in disbelief.

Mei chuckled while panting a bit. "Of course! I told you… my babies always come in clutch!"

Izuku was running on pure adrenaline at this point, not minding the numb pains in both of his arms. He looked down at Yuki, who was clutching one of the headbands.

"Did you… get it?"

Yuki handed it to him. Izuku took it and gasped. The blonde boy looked back at him and smirked.

"I told you… I'm always watching."

The headband had their "10,000,350" point total on it. The crowd exploded with cheer suddenly, as if they were holding their breath watching the intense encounter.

"**OH. MY. GOD! The Support Team snatches the ten million back!** **With very little time to spare!"**

Todoroki was checking what points he had via his headbands, scowling.

"I told you we should've let it go," Yaoyorozu said with a sigh.

"No, this was necessary," Iida said calmly, looking over towards Team Izuku. "One of our teams was going to send a message… We just lost this time."

"It's not over," Todoroki stated firmly. "Let's go."

"Izuku, look," Mei said. They looked to see that Todoroki's Team was starting to come towards them.

"O-Over there too!" Everyone looked where Shiro was pointing now. On the opposite side of them from Todoroki, Bakugo had abandoned his group yet again, blasting through the air towards them.

"Don't you bastards leave me out of this! _Those points are mine!_"

_We can't take them both on… Not like this! _Izuku tried to move his arms, but gasped in pain. He looked at his right arm in the ice, which had cracked and melted away a bit, leaving it very numb. Then he turned to the left one— Where the Power Turbine device had been, he now had a scrap of charred metal that was left, as well as some burn marks on his skin.

"I don't think I can move much anymore," Yuki stated.

"Then we just have to take them both on!"

"B-But how? Do I bite them again?" Shiro tried to show some wavering confidence.

"I don't know!" Izuku gulped, his body feeling heavy with exhaustion as he struggled to stop tears coming from the stinging pain.

Iida stopped his team and called back to them, "Everyone hang on! I won't be able to move much after this, but if it has to be done..."

Iida tensed up, the engines at the back of his legs kicking on, starting to glow brightly from the back—

But then, a buzzer sounded, and the crowd went wild once more.

"**Time's Up! That's it for the second round!**"

Izuku's team let out a collective breath of relief, all collapsing to the ground to rest. Bakugo fell face-first onto the ground nearby as announcement sounded, yelling in frustration and hitting the ground with a fist.

Iida let out a gasp, relaxing as he managed to stop what he was about to do. He gritted his teeth.

"Sorry, I was too late," he stated. "They got us…"

"We're really lucky they didn't take anymore from us," Momo commented, shaking her head. "How did they get the ten million out of all of then? Just bad luck."

Todoroki hopped down to the ground, gazing over at Izuku's team.

"There wasn't any luck," Todoroki stated solemnly. "Just a stronger will to win."

Todoroki looked down at his right hand, which was shaking a bit. It had a layer of ice on it from utilizing his Quirk a bit more than he had anticipated. He clenched it tightly and walked away from the group.

_It wasn't enough, but I'll never use my other half, even if I'm overwhelmed..._

"**Let's look at those points! The anticipation is killer!**"

Everyone's attention went up to the screen, where the points were all displayed.

"**First Place is… Team Midoriya!**"

"**Second is… Team Todoroki!"**

"**In third, it's Team Bakugo!"**

"**And in fourth place it's Team— eh? Team Shinso? When did they come back into the fray?"**

As the crowd went wild and the winners and losers of the event reflected on what had happened, the Support group felt incredibly exhausted from their efforts.

"I don't want to move for a while," Yuki groaned.

"**Now we'll be taking an hour break for lunch, before the afternoon festivities begin! See ya!**"

"Need… food…" Shiro lifted herself off the ground shakily.

"You seemed content with eating that Bakugo guy," Yuki commented. "Couldn't he have blown your teeth off?"

Shiro gasped and held her mouth. "I didn't even think of that!"

Izuku chuckled weakly, and watched as Mei got up and came to him, helping him get up with his arm slung around her.

"Mei…?"

The girl smiled to him. "We gotta get you to the nurse, or else you might not be able to continue!"

Izuku blinked at this, nodding. "You guys... You all did perfectly."

Yuki slowly stood and shook his head, showing a rare small smile towards him.

"No Midoriya, I think we can all agree that it's your inspiration that drove us forward." Beside him, Shiro managed to get up, giving a thumbs up of agreement.

Izuku couldn't stop the tears from coming now, from the pain and the happiness.

"T-Thank you guys… so much!"

"..I think I'll join you in the nurse's office," Yuki stated.

"Are you alright— Yuki?!" Shiro gasped as the boy collapsed forward, nudging and prodding him

"He's exhausted, try and get him to the nurse's office too," Mei told Shiro. "Good luck!"

"H-Hey wait! How am I supposed to—"

While the Support group reveled in their victory and headed out to recover, many interested eyes in the audience took note of them, especially the Heroes from America who could now see just how intensely Japan prides themselves in their Hero work and those wanting to become one.

Izuku and his friends had truly made a name for themselves.

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Thin Ice (SF Arc)**


	26. Thin Ice (SF Arc)

**Chapter Twentyfour - Thin Ice**

It didn't take long for Recovery Girl to look over Izuku's wounds, giving him a bit of a scolding from the recklessness of using so many devices created by year one students.

"I can't fix your arm if you blow it off completely next time," the old nurse had warned him. "And don't forget to eat a lot or you'll run out of stamina quick!"

"I-I'm sorry, I'll be more careful…"

As Izuku and Mei were going to leave, Recovery Girl stopped Mei, insisting on checking her out as well. Izuku learned that his close friend had made _several _visits to the nurse's office since they started at U.A due to invention mishaps, thus the old woman didn't trust Mei to not need medical attention.

"I'm going to wait for you out he—" Izuku was speaking over his shoulder to Mei as he exited the room, but froze when he saw someone waiting for him there.

Todoroki was leaning back against the wall with his arms crossed, eyes downcast. As Izuku exited, he looked up at him with a cool, collected expression.

Izuku nervously closed the door behind him and took a step towards Todoroki, feeling uneasy under his dual-colored gaze.

"T-Todoroki, right? You've done really well in the festival so far," Izuku said, giving the boy a smile. "You really made us work for the win."

The boy didn't budge at all, staring at Izuku for a few moments before speaking.

"What's your deal, Midoriya?"

Izuku blinked at him, unsure of what to say, but Todoroki continued without allowing him to answer anyways.

"You're holding back your Quirk, for what," Todoroki stated. "Are you saying that we're not even a challenge for you?"

"I-It's not like that at all! I… I…" Izuku looked down, rubbing his bandaged left arm nervously. "There's a lot for me to prove out there—"

"Everyone could say the same thing," Todoroki interrupted him. "We're all going as hard as we can. Yet you're trying to make a fool out of us."

_It's not like that… _Izuku thought, clenching his fists tightly. _I wanted to leave my Quirklessness generally a secret, to announce it later for everyone to hear!_

"My old man Endeavor, the #2 Hero, wishes for me to use my full power," Todoroki continued, lifting his left hand. "I will never do what that man wishes… But even then, I will use my right half to it's fullest."

"T-Then… you're holding back still?" Izuku was surprised by this, imagining how it's possible that Todoroki's relentless and powerful ice attacks weren't even his full capabilities.

Todorki shook his head. "As far as I'm concerned, this is my best," he stated, his eyes narrowing. "You can't say the same, can you?"

Izuku thought about the powerful #2 Hero, Endeavor. Looking at Todoroki more closely now, he realized that the boy always used his right half to create ice, so that probably meant that his left half—

"You're going to get crushed if you continue to hold back," Todoroki told him. "Maybe not even by me."

_What is this…? A threat? But he's being hypocritical!_

"So watch yourself." With that, Todoroki turned and started to walk away.

_Do I really still have to prove myself to people? My Mom, Power Loader-sensei, my classmates, the entire crowd, all cheering for me— Is it not enough? _

Izuku finally gathered his thoughts and courage and looked up at Todoroki, speaking up:

"Y-You're going to lose!"

Todoroki stopped but didn't look back, so Izuku continued on.

"You may think that I'm holding back… But you're just projecting onto me! You're the one who won't use their full power, and if you don't, t-then I'm going to beat you! I'll prove to everyone that I'm not weak!"

Izuku's confidence was wavering as he spoke his mind, but it felt good to let it out, especially to someone he considered incredibly cocky like the boy before him.

Todoroki calmly looked back to Izuku.

"I didn't even know who you were before this. It sounds more like you're projecting your image of those who don't believe in you onto me."

Izuku didn't know what to say, watching as Todoroki calmly walked away, before finally leaving the hallway.

_He's… wrong… _Izuku clutched his right arm, feeling the tingling of the cold numbness in his mind. _I-I'll show him he doesn't know anything about me!_

"Midoriya," came a voice from behind, making Izuku jump a bit. He turned to see his teacher Power Loader approaching. "You've done good out there."

Shaking the thoughts of Todoroki from his mind, Izuku gave a small smile to his teacher.

"T-Thank you. We've all been trying our hardest," Izuku told him.

Power Loader grinned. "I know I told you all to do your best but… You've taken it further than I anticipated… Plus Ultra, right?"

"Right!"

The teacher patted Izuku's shoulder, his proud expression dropping a bit.

"Actually, I came to tell you guys that you've been a bit reckless. Midnight is pulling the plug on your inventions."

Izuku gasped. "W-What do you mean? These were all approved before the festival!"

Power Loader sighed. "It seems that inventions blowing up and injuring students is a bad look. But I managed to convince her to be lenient." The man held up a finger. "From here on out, one invention is allowed to be used by each of you."

_Just one? That's… _Izuku thought for a moment. _That really messes with Mei's plans to show off to the investors!_

"That's not fair—"

"It's what's been decided. You're on thin ice for now, not to make a pun" Power Loader interrupted him. "Pass on the message for me, will you? I need to get back. Make sure you guys get a big lunch."

"A pun…?"

Power Loader motioned behind Izuku. He turned to look down the hall where Todoroki had left. To his surprise, he saw a frozen footprint facing towards him, where Todoroki had stopped and said his final words to him.

"Seems like you're getting on someone's nerves," he stated with a smirk, patting Izuku's shoulder.

Izuku closed his eyes for a moment in thought, then he gave his teacher a serious look.

"Please sensei… I need you to bump that number up to two, at least," he told the man. "I… I don't care about my chances, just don't restrict Mei because of my carelessness!"

"She's the one who broke her own invention too," Power Loader pointed out. Seeing Izuku's expression, he sighed. "I'll try my best. No guarantees though, alright?"

With that, Power Loader walked off, not waiting for Izuku to say anything else.

As if on cue, the door to the nurse's office was thrown open, and Mei walked out confidently.

"I'm perfectly fine! Just some leg sprains and bruises is all!"

"That's not perfectly fine then," Izuku mumbled. "What about Yuki?"

"She's letting him rest a bit. She told us to bring him lunch before we go back out," Mei explained. "But I'm pretty sure Shiro will do it, so that solves that!"

"Got it," Izuku responded bitterly.

"Something wrong?" Mei got into his personal space, gazing at him intensely.

"There's… something I have to tell you."

* * *

When they got to the lunchroom, there was a sort of quiet that washed over everybody was they saw them.

_Uh oh…_ Izuku looked around nervously. Luckily, the tension was shattered when the entirety of the 1-H class rushed up to them.

"Midoriya! Hatsume!" Their class crowded around them happily, excited to see their successful classmates.

"H-Hey guys. This is…" Izuku smiled, not sure what to say, unused to the attention.

Taka was near the front of the pack, the bespectacled boy fighting back tears. "You all really did us proud! I've been rewatching it over and over in my head!"

"You guys _totally _socked it to the Hero students!" Wakata happily punched the air in front of herself. "I'm gonna have to work out even harder to keep up with you now."

Ken approached him and lifted a fist, giving a simple nod to Izuku.

"I'm envious Midoriya, but you'll never be able to beat me in a building competition," he said.

Izuku laughed and gave his friend a fist bump. "I guess we'll have to test that again soon then!"

To this, Ken gave a small smile.

A few of the other 1-H classmates gave Izuku congratulatory pats on the back and hugs. The nervousness had completely faded by now, as Izuku laughed and celebrated alongside his class, not caring about the others watching them. However, he soon noticed that something was missing.

"Where'd Mei go?" Looking around, he couldn't see her.

"She's over there," Ken pointed out. Nearby, Mei had grabbed a tray of food and was heading for another door. "Something happen?"

Izuku sighed. After he had told Mei about the one invention limit, she seemed to have retreated into her thoughts and hadn't said anything since.

"I really caused problems for us," Izuku said.

"Can't be that bad," Ken retorted. "The fight's not over, you guys have a lot to go still. Whatever it is, you'll fix it."

Izuku nodded at this, unsure if it was the truth or not.

_I need to go to Mei… I should apologize and make sure I help her with whatever she needs! If I don't then-_

"-she might hate me, or even worse, what if I cause her to worry so much that she doesn't do well in front of all those investors? Then she'll definitely hate me and everything we've worked for will be gone!"

Ken watched as Izuku slipped into a mutter storm, accidentally speaking his thoughts. Ken produced a paper fan from his hand with his Quirk and smacked Izuku on the back of his head, bringing him back to reality.

"W-What was that for?" Izuku rubbed the back of his head, looking at Ken, confused.

"Take some food at least if you're gonna go after Hatsume, jeez," the boy said, rolling his eyes and walking off.

"Were my thoughts really that obvious…?"

* * *

Within the Sports Stadium, where was a small workshop that was utilized mainly to fix any malfunctioning equipment that might cause problems during the event. Within it were parts of robots and defused mines scattered around.

Mei sat at one of the work desks, a lone lamp shining on it. She didn't respond as a knock sounded at the door, and Izuku slowly peeked inside.

"...Mei?" The boy spotted her in the darkness, stepping inside and closing the door softly. "Are we even allowed to be in here…?"

He approached her, setting his tray of food down and looking down at what she was focusing on. Almost instantly, he recognized it.

"That's… That's our…"

Mei looked at him, blinking in surprise, as if she had just noticed him. Closing the journal, Izuku could see the worn title on the cover:

**Hatsume and Midoriya's Path to U.A**

It was the journal that Izuku had given the girl during the last Christmas. Within it was the chronicles of their training and sketches of several ideas they had come up with over their ten months of preparing for the U.A entrance exams.

"Oh, sorry Izuku! I really started thinking about something, and I kinda zoned out I guess," Mei said.

Izuku smiled a bit. "I-I'm just glad you're alright… But why are you reading that?"

"Getting some ideas!" Mei scooted over and pulled up a nearby chair. Izuku sat down beside her as she continued, opening the journal again, "We had some good stuff in here that I totally forgot about!"

Taking a look at the page she was on, Izuku was surprised to see the ideas sketched out on there that had left his memory.

"Wow, I forgot what crazy ideas for babies we came up with," he said, smiling.

"Right? When we do crazy things, we're really at our best!" Mei nodded to herself. "That's why, I don't really need to use more than one baby in the next stage."

Izuku was surprised by this statement. "A-Are you sure?"

Mei nodded, taking the goggles she had created to allow her Quirk to zoom in further, gazing at them.

"I've enjoyed the babies we've created or experienced together more than anything from before," the girl said. "I don't exactly know why, but… The amount I value the babies really goes up if you're involved."

Izuku stared at Mei for a few moments, before he finally looked away, feeling himself blushing a bit.

"I-I feel the same way," he responded. "Though, the baby terminology really makes it… Kinda embarrassing."

Mei chuckled and leaned over to him. Izuku's face reddened even more as the girl rested her head on his shoulder, making him tense up a bit.

"Izuku, can I borrow your Drift?"

"B-Borrow it?" Izuku looked

The girl glanced up at him. "Yup, I'm going to make some modifications and use it. It'll be our first baby for me to show off to the world!"

"I-I see, well…" Izuku smiled. "Of course. I know you'll be able to make it even better… Mei?"

Izuku looked at the girl, her breathing growing steady and her eyes closing as she drifted off to sleep. He looked away, feeling his face burning with embarrassment.

_Well… I can let her nap for a few minutes at least…_

* * *

When everyone made their way back to the stadium field, a concrete arena had been formed at the center, with steps on either side of it, created by the Pro Hero and U.A teacher Cementoss.

_Every year there's a 1-on-1 competition of some kind, _Izuku thought as he made his way through the tunnel, knowing this from his many years of watching the festival on TV.

"**Now that lunch is over, it's finally time to reveal our last game! But first, there's good news for those of you who didn't make it to the final round,**" Present Mic exclaimed as everyone was returning. "**This is a sports festival after all, so we've prepared recreational games for everyone to participate in too!" **

As Izuku made it out onto the field, he was surprised by how lively it was now, with the air of competition momentarily halted.

"**We even brought real cheerleaders over from America!**"

Sure enough, a line of tall American girls were cheering their hearts out near the stands. Up above, in the highest seats of the stands, two Pro Heroes from America grumbled about having to ride with those loud cheerleaders on the way there.

"H-How did we fall for this?!"

Izuku looked towards what appeared to be another row of cheerleaders, but he quickly recognized them as the girls of class 1-A. The one from Todoroki's team, Yaoyorozu, fell to her knees in defeat.

"Stupid Mineta," the girl grumbled. The others looked equally distraught, except for Toru, the invisible girl waving her pom-pome around excitedly.

"**Even class 1-A jumped into the cheerleading action too! But where's their excitement at?!**"

Not far off, Izuku could see the familiar figures of Mineta and Kaminari both chattering excitedly. Izuku chuckled at this.

_I hope I get to know the Hero classes better soon, _he thought. _Especially if I'm aiming to join them!_

Once everyone was present, Present Mic began to get everyone pumped once again:

"**Alright everybody! Let's have fun with the recreational games! And after that, the sixteen from the four top teams of the last round will duke it out one-on-one tournament style!"**

"So it's going to be straight up battles huh," Izuku commented to himself.

Beside Izuku was a groggy Mei, having barely gotten to nap and working hard on messing with Izuku's Drift device. Yuki and Shiro were also nearby, the well-built boy looking much better already.

"Are you sure you'll be fine, Yuki?" Izuku looked over at him.

"Of course. I ate a lot after Recovery Girl healed me up, and it's as if I'm brand new," Yuki responded, flexing his hands.

"Ooh ooh, can I feel your muscles just to make sure they're heathy?" Shiro hopped up and down excitedly.

"Something tells me you did that while I was asleep anyways," Yuki said with a sigh.

Shiro turned away, crossing her arms. "No faith in me? Sheesh…"

Up at the front of the students, Midnight begab to speak.

"Now let's draw lots to determine the brackets," Midnight told them, holding a yellow box in her hands. "Once the bracket is decided, we'll have the recreational games and then begin. Of course, the top sixteen from the last round can choose to participate or not, since they may want to rest. Anyways, from the first team—"

"Um… Excuse me," came a voice. A boy near the front, who had a distinguishing tail, raised a hand, stopping Midnight. "I want to withdraw."

Everyone was surprised by this sudden statement.

"Ojiro? But this is a rare chance for Pros to see you," Iida said to him.

"I barely remember anything from the Cavalry Battle until almost the end," Ojiro stated solemnly. "I think it was that guy's Quirk…"

_That guy? His team was… _Izuku scanned the crowd of students, trying to see who it might be.

"I get that it's foolish to waste this opportunity, but… Everyone here competed by giving their all! I can't be up there with everyone without knowing what really happened!"

The nearby girls of 1-A tried to tell him that it was alright to continue on, but Ojiro hid his face with a hand, obviously shaken.

"I'm talking about my pride here… I can't…" Ojiro shook his head, not wanting to look at anyone. "Also… Why are you guys wearing cheerleader outfits?"

The 1-A girls looked away, a bit embarrassed and bitter from being reminded of the trickery.

A shorter boy with light-blue hair then approached Midnight. "I'm Nirengeki Shoda from Class B, I also want to withdraw for the same reason."

_Someone from Class B as well…? _Izuku was surprised narrowing down who it must've been.

"Regardless of ability," Shoda continued, "Don't you think it's wrong for those of us who didn't do anything to move onto the final round?"

Everyone began to whisper about the scene unfolding, even Present Mic unsure about the unusual events that were transpiring. Izuku, on the other hand, was gazing at a certain boy in the crowd who was purposefully turned away from the others, his distinguishing wild purple hair making him easy to spot if you looked for it.

"Youthful talk like that is something I like!" Midnight flicked her whip, an odd smile on her face. "Shoda, Ojiro— I accept your withdrawal!"

The person Izuku was looking at turned his head slowly, catching Izuku's gaze. He then let a sinister smile slowly creep onto his face, making Izuku's skin crawl a bit

"Though I guess we'll need to move up someone from the fifth place team of the Cavalry Battle…" Midnight scanned the crowd, finding the fifth place team, which was led by Kendo of Class 1-B.

Kendo shook her head before even being acknowledged.

"If that's going to happen, than rather than us… It should be them, correct?" Kendo looked to her other teammates, who nodded in agreement. "The ones who fought til the end and stayed in the top, Team Tetsutetsu."

Tetsutetsu and his team were shocked by this sudden shift in focus. The silver-haired boy looked over to their class rep.

"Kendo!?"

The orange-hair girl gave her classmates a smile. "This isn't collusion, it just makes sense, that's all."

"Y-You guys…!" Tetsutetsu sniffled as he began to tear up a bit.

Midnight nodded in approval at this development. Soon after, Tetsutetsu and Ibara Shiozaki stepped up as the two that would move on into the final round.

"And so; Tetsutetsu and Shiozaki have moved up to make sixteen! Here's the bracket based on the results of the drawing!"

The bracket appeared on the screens, everyone going wild in the stands as they read the matchups:

**Izuku Midoriya **

**vs**

**Hitoshi Shinso**

**Shoto Todoroki**

**vs **

**Adatari Yuki**

**Ibara Shiozaki **

**vs**

**Minami Shiro**

**Iida Tenya**

**vs **

**Hanta Sero**

**Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu**

**vs**

**Eijiro Kirishima**

**Denki Kaminari**

**vs**

**Mina Ashido**

**Mei Hatsume**

**vs**

**Katsuki Bakugo**

**Yuga Aoyama**

**vs**

**Momo Yaoyorozu**

_Shinso! _Izuku gazed up at the matchups, then noticed someone approaching. He gasped, seeing that the boy he had been staring at, Shinso, had somehow gotten closer so quickly while he was distracted.

"Looking forward to the first round, Midoriya," the boy said with a grin.

Izuku was startled for a moment, but finally began to say 'You too', but was stopped as something was flicked to him and hit his neck. Confused, Izuku bent down to pick it up, seeing it was a tiny pebble.

"Don't answer him, Midoriya," came the voice of Shoda as he approached the two.

Shinso smirked and turned to walk away. "Well, don't bore me at least, Midoriya."

"Hey—" Izuku was going to say something to Shinso, so Shoda sighed, activating his Quirk. Suddenly, Izuku's neck took a much harder hit in the same spot from seemingly out of nowhere, sending him stumbling away, rubbing it and tearing up. "What the— What was—"

"Just take my word for it," Shoda said, shaking his head as he walked away.

While Izuku questioned everything that had just happened, Mei ran up to him, seeming very excited.

"Izuku! Did you see who I'm facing off against?"

Nearby, the familiar voice of Bakugo could be heard asking. "Who the hell is Hatsume?"

Mei turned and waves to him. "I am!"

The blonde boy turned and looked to her, at first seeming not to care, before his expression suddenly darkened as he remembered her from the Cavalry Battle. Izuku gulped, not sure if Mei could see her opponents resentment.

"You… Support… Nerds…" Bakugo could seemingly barely get the words out through gritted teeth.

While Izuku and Mei experienced the burning rage of Bakugo, another person was gazing at Izuku with serious intent.

_Looks like we'll be facing each other sooner than I thought, _Todoroki thought. _Midoriya._

* * *

When the recreational games were set to begin, fireworks fired off over the stadium as a much lighter mood took over the air.

However, Tetsutetsu sought out Shoda for a quick question before he went to prepare for the final round.

"'Ey, Shoda!"

The short boy turned to see the loud Tetsutetsu approaching him.

"About that guy… What the heck did he do to you? You guys said he controlled you," Tetsutetsu asked.

Shoda rubbed his neck, the memory of suddenly waking up after the battle was over still a fresh wound in his mind.

"Y-Yeah, it seems like… If you respond to him when he's talking, you just… Fall under his control," Shoda tried to explain. "Apparently Ojiro and I were moving the entire time, but we can't remember it at all."

Tetsutetsu scratched his head. "That sounds… scary. I'll have to watch out for him! Whoever's fighting him is toast though—"

"Er, I believe it's Midoriya—"

"Midoriya?!" Tetsutetsu scowled. "My bro Midoriya needs to be warned then!"

"I already tried—" Shoda stopped as Tetsutetsu ran off suddenly, sighing. "Nobody listens…"

* * *

Izuku was in the waiting room, sitting alone to gather his thoughts and calm his nerves about the upcoming final round. Mei had gone to continue her work, while Shiro and Yuki seemed to have their own separate things to do.

Suddenly, a door burst open, surprising Izuku.

"Midoriya!"

"Tetsutetsu?!" Izuku watched the boy who always looked angry as he approached him, unsure of what he could want.

Tetsutetsu thumbed to himself as he got close.

"I'm here to save your goddamn life!"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: SILENCE - Izuku vs Shinso (SF Arc)**


	27. SILENCE: Izuku vs Shinso (SF Arc)

**Chapter Twentyfive - SILENCE: Izuku vs Shinso**

"**The finals you've all been waiting for are finally starting!** **Let's get on to match number one!**"

As Izuku walked out onto the field, the pressure from the cheering crowds felt more intense than it had been before, likely due to the fact that all eyes were on him and his opponent only.

"**He's surprised everyone with two first place finishes so far— So what's with that face? From the Support Course, Izuku Midoriya!**"

There was no way to calm his nerves completely, so Izuku resorted to the best smile he could manage, though it ended up making him look even more nervous.

"**VERSUS—- Well, he hasn't done much to stand out yet… From the General Studies course, Hitoshi Shinso!**"

Shinso had his hands in his pockets as he strode out onto the field nonchalantly, looking like he was bored of the situation.

"**The rules are simple! Force your opponent out of bounds or immobilize them. You can also win by forcing your Opponent to say 'I give up'!"**

The two opponents stepped up onto the concrete arena. Izuku began to stretch his arms as he focused his gaze on Shinso, the boy returning it with a small grin.

_I've never had to fight someone like this, _Izuku thought. _One on one… The only goal to defeat them._

Izuku cracked his knuckles. He was wearing the green cloth gloves he utilized to power his Flow, but not the device itself. The gloves had distinct vein-like black cords that would normally hook up to the device. In fact, he had _none_ of his inventions with him, which drew some chatter amongst the crowd who were expecting zany things from Izuku at this point.

"**We've got our very own Recovery Girl waiting on standby, so put your morals and ethics aside for a moment! Though, of course, anything life-threatening is crap! Heroes should catch villains using their fists!**"

To the side of the stage, the Hero Cementoss created a throne-like chair out of the cement, sitting upon it.

"I'll be stepping in if things go too far," Cementoss stated.

Izuku took a deep breath, closing his eyes to focus himself for a moment, until Shinso began to speak.

"Making them say 'I give up' huh… This is a fight to test the strength of your spirit," Shinso began to say. "If you know what you want for the future, then you can't worry about appearances."

"**Ready…!**"

As Present Mic was preparing to start, Izuku watched as Shinso's expression turned dark, his grin fading.

"Those guys were in the Hero class, yet they were stupid enough to care about their pride. Don't you think that's idiotic?"

Izuku clutched his fists tightly, glaring at the boy ahead of him.

"**Start!"**

"You want to get in as badly as I do, you're tired of people judging you," Shinso spoke, opening his arms in a friendly gesture. "You don't want to be trash like those in the Hero class, nor as worthless as the Support class, do you?"

Izuku took a step forward, gritting his teeth. He wasn't going to let Shinso get away with insulting those he looked up to and those who believed in him. This was only one of many battles Izuku's has had to face, so he wouldn't stumble now.

_Thank you everyone, for everything so far...I won't let you down!_

"What did you say—"

Izuku stopped in mid-sentence. stumbling forward a step, his expression going blank. His mind went fuzzy, feeling as though he had been pulled away from his own body with no control over it.

Shinso smirked, sliding his hands into his pockets.

Up in the stands, everyone watched on in confusion at this development. Shoda stood up, holding his head in his hands.

"Tetsutetsu! Didn't you warn him?"

Nearby, the silver-haired boy was sitting with his arms crossed firmly. He nodded.

"Then what's he doing?!" Shoda sighed and sat back down.

"He's facing his problem head on! Just like I would," Tetsutetsu stated, hitting his own chest.

"I'm not sure you're the best example to follow," Kendo commented from nearby.

Present Mic began to shout, **"Uhh we started already! Midoriya?! He's already frozen up during the beginning of the match!**"

Down on the field, Shinso let out a relieved sigh, before stating, "Turn around and walk out of bounds."

Izuku could only watch as his body began to move in its own. His clenched fists uncurled and he turned, slowly beginning to lumber towards the edge of the stage.

_I can't stop myself! _Izuku thought as he couldn't struggle at all over the hold on himself. _So this is what Shoda and Ojiro experienced… I get why they were so shaken up…_

Of course, thanks to Tetsutetsu's long and overly confusing explanation, Izuku was able to know how Shinso's Quirk activated. He could also tell from his brief encounters with Shinso that he was the type of person who wanted to make a show of his power, and not bother getting his hands dirty if he didn't have to.

_He's just going to make me walk out, just like I thought…_

To get more information, they had consulted Ojiro, who was still sulking over the entire thing. He has explained how, once he bumped shoulders with somebody, it snapped him out of Shinso's Quirk.

Thus, Izuku got the idea and decided to test it out. Shinso was content to merely watch Izuku leave the ring, which gave Izuku's plan enough time to occur.

_Zap! _Izuku's gloves sent a shock into him, jolting him back to reality. He gasped, taking a step forward, clutching at his chest as the feeling of returning was unsettling.

"How—" Shinso's eyes widened as he watched Izuku turn to him.

Izuku grinned. "I'm more relentless than you think—"

Instantly, Izuku went back into the trance. Everyone gasped as his face went blank again, Shoda and Ojiro in the crowd both shooting up out of their chairs.

"You idiot!" The two both yelled in unison amongst the hushed crowd.

_Zap! _The gloves shocked Izuku again, this time the return wasn't as much of a surprise as he looked across at Shinso.

"I told you before... I'm going to become a Hero," Izuku stated confidently.

Izuku had messed with his Flow control gloves to shock himself every five seconds, unless his fists were clenched to break the circuit. He wasn't sure it would work, and he didn't _have _to fall for Shinso's Quirk at all if he could help it— But it was all for his cause.

Shinso took his hands from his pockets, glaring at Izuku. "Doesn't it make you angry though? The way people look down on you all the time?"

Taking a breath, Izuku began to walk towards Shinso calmly.

"**Amazing! Midoriya manages to break out of Shinso's spell! But what will happen now—**"

There was suddenly a loud noise like feedback on a mic that echoed around the stands for a moment. Up in the booth, Present Mic tapped his microphone, confused.

From then on, the crowd could hear the voices of the two combatants down below. This was due to Mei hijacking the system for the microphone under Izuku's shirt, originally something they planned to use if Izuku fought against Todoroki so he could truly announce his intentions to the world—

...But of course, the mic turned on accidentally at this moment, likely from the electricity jolting into Izuku.

"It's upsetting isn't it, not having a Quirk?" Shinso grinned a bit, feeling he might have something to set Izuku off. "In this world with so many incredible powers, why you? I bet you think that all the time."

The crowd began to talk, surprised by what they were hearing. The other students watching in the crowd were surprised as well, except for Class 1-H and a select few others who had already known.

"Midoriya is Quirkless…?" Tetsutetsu reached out and clutched the chair in front of his tightly. "Why wouldn't he ever tell me that?!"

"I feel like your relationship is a bit one-sided," Shoda commented quietly.

Where Class 1-A was sitting, Bakugo watched with narrow eyes. Such news was old to him, he had always picked on Izuku for being powerless to do anything against him. Yet here he was, dominating the Sports Festival and taking the fame that Bakugo had always wished to have.

"That Midoriya is really amazing then," the nearby girl from 1-A named Ochaco Uraraka said with a smile. "To be doing all this without a Quirk."

Iida beside her nodded. "I could tell since I first met Midoriya that he wasn't all talk. If anyone can do it… I believe he can."

Bakugo scowled, letting his anger fester in silence. Though he was known to have an explosive temper at times, the boy had generally been able to keep his cool for the first part of the school year. However, when Deku was involved, something inside of him just clicked…

"**Hey! Someones hijacked the mics! This is my commentary-**"

Mei slunk down into her seat a bit, nervously smiling. _Whoops!~_

Down below, Izuku continued his pace towards Shinso. The two of them didn't seem to notice their voices carrying out into the stands.

"It pisses you off, right?" Shinso was looking a bit worried as he tried to reason with his opponent. "Or are you okay with being called weak?"

Izuku finally responded, saying, "Of course I'm not—"

As Izuku fell into the trance, stopping his movement, Shinso acted quickly, changing his game plan. He ran forward, counting the seconds as he grew close. Sure enough, after five seconds, Izuku had suddenly returned to his senses.

_Whatever trick he's pulling, I'll catch him when he slips up!_ Shinso thought angrily, sliding to a halt, keeping the few yards of distance that was left between them.

"**What the heck is going on down there?! Are they afraid to attack each other?**"

"You think you can mess around with my Quirk to make me look bad huh," Shinso commented. "Can a Hero really be that vain?"

Izuku shook his head. "It's not like that at all—"

Once again, the boy got caught up in Shinso's trance, so he rushed in again, reaching Izuku in about two seconds. Shinso grabbed him by the shirt and punched him hard with his right fist.

"Just give it up already," Shinso told the boy as he reared his fist back again. Izuku was awoken by the shock of the first hit, his eyes returning to life.

Izuku brought his arm up to block Shinso's punch, but was suddenly greeted by a knee to the stomach. Gasping from the hit, Izuku then felt as Shinso grappled him and began to push him backwards, trying to get him out of bounds.

"You can't make a damned fool out of me! That won't solve anything for either of us," Shinso grumbled loudly.

_He just doesn't get it… But I can't explain it without his Quirk going off!_

Frustrated, Izuku held his ground, sliding to a halt as he delivered an elbow hard down onto Shinso's back, making him loosen his grip, allowing Izuku to push him off.

"You're going to lose, Midoriya!"

Shinso stayed close, coming in with a right hook. Izuku was able to duck under the attack with ease, sweeping Shinso's legs out from under him with one swift leg motion. He fell to the concrete hard and groaned, quickly trying to get up— However, Izuku quickly got on top of him, holding his shirt and readying a fist to strike him.

"**Midoriya overpowers Shinso! Is this going to be the end already?**"

Shinso was breathing heavily from the exchange. He chuckled and opened his mouth to speak, but Izuku cut him off.

"Just shut up already!" Izuku glared down at Shinso, holding his fist back at the ready. "I can't answer your questions when you keep using your Quirk!"

"**Ehh? Isn't that the point of the battle?**"

As Present Mic questioned Izuku's logic, the boy sighed, trying to compose himself a bit.

"I have a lot of people that believe in me! It's been tough, but I've worked hard to try and get the recognition I wanted," Izuku exclaimed. "I'm going to become a Hero… But that doesn't mean you can't too! Not everybody is out to get you!"

Shinso looked away for a moment, noticing a few familiar figures in the stands not far off. He recognized them as his General Studies classmates, people he had never considered nor treated as friends before.

Yet here they were, cheering for him.

"Shinso! Get up and beat his ass!"

"You're making us proud!"

"Go Shinso, Go!"

It was confusing for Shinso, who felt like he had to prove to the world that he shouldn't be judged unfairly. As he looked back up at Izuku, the determination in the quirkless boy's face suddenly became a symbol of what could be—

Proof that he could change how people viewed him.

Shinso slowly opened his mouth to speak. Izuku tensed up, his fist shaking a bit as he didn't _want _ to hit Shinso while he was down, but he wasn't sure what else to do if he wasn't getting through.

_Now they want to cheer me on, because of what? _Shinso thought. _I've done nothing impressive, I…_

He recalled his middle school years, full of being ostracized for his Quirk. Being told by his peers that he was destined to become a villain with such a power, and often catching blame for things he had no part of.

_I wanted to show everyone that I can become a Hero… But maybe I was wrong, _Shinso thought, closing his eyes.

Then he spoke up:

"I give up…"

Izuku's eyes widened in surprise, and he let go of Shinso, standing over him. "Shinso…"

Midnight raised a hand, the handcuff-bracelet on her wrist jingling. "Shinso has conceded the match! Midoriya will move on to Round Two!"

Shinso slowly got up to his feet, his eyes downcast towards the concrete floor. The crowd began to cheer loudly, and Izuku gazed all around at them, finding himself smiling at the praise.

"**Wow! The first person into the next stage is the Support star Izuku Midoriya! That was a pretty boring first match, but everyone give them a round of applause!**"

As the crowd applauded them on, Midnight had the two face each other and gave slight bows to show good sportsmanship. However, Shinso had a disappointed look on his face as he stared down at the ground.

"Shinso… Why do you want to become a Hero?"

Shinso looked up at Izuku, seemingly a bit stunned by the question. He then turned away and began to walk off.

"You can't help the things you long for," he replied simply. Izuku watched as Shinso descended the stairs, unsure of what he could say to him in that moment.

_No matter what I say right now, I don't know if it'll help… What he needs is…_

Izuku looked towards the stands. There, many of the General Studies students were crowding up towards the railing, gazing down at their classmate as he left the concrete stage.

"Shinso! You did awesome!"

The boy looked up, surprised by those words. His classmates were all smiling down at him, a more surreal sight than he could have ever imagined.

"You went toe-to-toe with the person whose won both the previous events," one of his classmates said. "You're the pride of the General Studies!"

More cheers and calls came from Shinso's classmates, as well as chatter from Heroes in the stands, who commented on how his Quirk had high potential and might be wasted outside of the Hero classes.

Izuku watched the scene, smiling and remembering how it felt when his own classmates and friends cheered him on.

_What Shinso needed… Was for his peers to believe in him!_

Shinso slid his hands into his pockets, slouching a bit as he didn't want people to see his face, where a rare legitimate smile has formed.

"Midoriya… Even if it didn't work out this time, I'm not giving up," he spoke for Izuku to hear. "I'm going to get into the Hero class, get licensed… And then I'll become a better Hero than all of you!"

As Shinso turned his head to glance back at Izuku, the green-haired boy nodded and smiled.

"Yeah—" Izuku quickly covered his mouth instinctively. However, be didn't feel Shinso's Quirk activate.

Shinso chuckled a bit. "People are always cautious when talking to me. Don't go losing in such an unseemly way."

With that, the boy finally exited the field. Izuku lowered his hand, unable to help from smiling, noticing it quickly.

_I couldn't smile that entire match… I guess what he told me hit close to home. But I'm glad things became this way in the end._

* * *

Izuku was greeted by lots of cheers and praise from his classmates, who practically swamped him as he entered the stands. Luckily, Ken came over and created a small taser from his finger, zapping Izuku in the chest where the mic was to shut it off before anyone realized where the feedback during the match had come from.

"G-Guys—" Izuku struggled a bit before his classmates finally let him be. He let out a sigh as he sat beside Shiro and Ken. "That was a bit rough…"

"Well, you're the one who didn't want to take anything with you," Ken pointed out.

"You could've beaten the snot out of him if you'd taken your Flow with you," Shiro said, punching and kicking the air.

Izuku shook his head. "I guess I wanted to win this fight with my own strength," he said, gazing down at his hands.

Shiro scoffed. "Are your inventions not a part of your strength?"

"He's probably thinking deeper than you can fathom," Ken pointed out, making Shiro scowl.

"Where's Mei at, by the way?" Izuku looked around, not seeing the girl anywhere.

"Where do you think?" Ken shrugged. "Working like usual."

Izuku got up and began to walk off, but Shiro grabbed his arm to stop him.

"Hey! Yuki's about to be up," she exclaimed. "You gotta watch!"

He looked down towards the field, then over at Shiro. "Don't worry, I'll be back in a few minutes. I'm sure it won't be over by then."

With that, Izuku headed out of the stands, going to search for Mei.

* * *

"**It's time for the second match of the finals to begin!**"

Present Mic could be heard announcing Yuki and Todoroki's names as the battle was set to start. Izuku was practically dragging Mei through the halls, the girl not wanting to stop her work.

"I-It just needs a few more tweaks—"

"We're going to cheer on Yuki, and that's final," Izuku said, struggling to pull her along.

"But this baby is going to be so cool! You won't believe the adjustments I made to the Drift to—"

Mei was cut off as the entire stadium shook. They both stumbled a bit, looking around in confusion.

Izuku and Mei quickly ran to the stands, joining their classmates to see what had happened.

"W-What…? How is that…" Izuku was at a loss for words at what he was seeing.

Half of the stadium was covered by a giant blast of solid ice, the people in the stands only a few feet away from being able to touch it. The ice shot up well above the Sports Stadium's walls, making for an incredible sight even for people outside the stadium.

Down on the center stage, the figure of Todoroki could be seen looking at the ice, where a person was mostly encased in it…

And that person was Yuki.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: SPARK - Shiro vs. Shiozaki**


	28. SPARK: Shiro vs Shiozaki (SF Arc)

_**A/N: We're back! Expect a couple of chapters this week hopefully. Don't forget to drop a Review! :) **_

**Chapter Twentysix - SPARK: Shiro vs Shiozaki**

* * *

_**A few minutes earlier….**_

Shoto Todoroki was slowly making his way to the entrance tunnel for his match, keeping his pace and his mind steady to try and clear up any thoughts of the previous events of the festival.

Unfortunately, that all came crashing down when _he_ was there waiting for Todoroki.

"Shoto, you've gotten soft huh?"

Endeavor, the #2 Hero who could never quite surpass All Might, stood there with a cocky smile, his signature flames rising from his body and forming a fiery beard of sorts as he leaned back against the wall with his arms crossed.

Todoroki didn't plan on speaking to his father so long as he could help it. He looked down and tried to continue on past him.

"You let a kid who doesn't even have a Quirk slip past you," Endeavor spoke sternly. "Yet he wouldn't have even stood a chance if you had used your left side."

Todoroki gritted his teeth as he passed, clutching his fists tightly.

"Stop this childish rebellion— You have a duty to surpass All Might. Don't forget that you aren't the same as your siblings; you are my ultimate masterpiece."

"_Is that all you can say, bastard," _Todoroki scowled. "_I'll never use your power when I fight. I'll get through the last rounds with only Mom's power._"

Endeavor shook his head. "Even if that works for now, soon you'll reach the limits of that power."

Todoroki was absolutely pissed by this. As he made his way out onto the field, he could barely register the cheering fans and announcing made by Present Mic.

Up on the stage, Yuki could see it, the fact that Todoroki was acting like he was in a trance.

_I have to get in close, _Yuki had thought.

"**...Start!**"

Yuki quickly fired off some smoke bombs in a line between them and dashed into it. He moved in an arced angle, so that Todoroki wouldn't know where he was approaching from.

_I can overpower him quick, even if he uses his ice! _Yuki thought as he could see Todoroki's form in the smoke.

Yuki held his arm out, attempting to perform a lariat to Todoroki, his arm outstretched to catch him by the neck. Based on Yuki's strength and the different in size, this could've proven to be quite effective—

However, Yuki was surprised when his arm slammed into something hard. He looked again and saw that Todoroki had sent ice up to block the hit, the force barely sending him sliding back.

_Crap— _ Yuki continued in again, but Todoroki brought his right arm up, sending a wave of ice at him. Thanks to his Quirk, Yuki was able to expertly dodge to his left, before running in again. _I can dodge his ice! I can—_

Todoroki's dead expression made Yuki falter for a moment as he saw it.

"I'm sorry," Todoroki spoke softly.

In that instant, Todoroki focused on his right leg and arm, firing off an incredibly powerful blast of frost towards Yuki.

_I can dodge it! I can… _Yuki's Quirk-enhanced eyes darted around as he searched for a solution. Then he closed his eyes, bracing himself as he thought:

_I can't!_

It was too overwhelming for _anyone _to dodge. The ice covered half the stadium, going up above the stadium walls, and Yuki was left there with only his head not encased in it.

Everyone in the stadium was in shock for a few moments, before Midnight, who was half frozen at this point, spoke up.

"Yuki… Can you still fight?" Her voice was shaky from the cold.

The boy didn't even try, knowing there was nothing he could do in the ice. He shook his head and spoke through chattering teeth, "No."

"**T-Then the winner via incredible overpowerment is… Shoto Todoroki!**"

Through the shocked silence, some of the audience began to cheer and give support to Yuki, who looked down towards the ground shamefully.

Todoroki approached the frozen Yuki and placed his left hand on the ice, looking away, his expression having returned to normal now.

"Sorry… I was angry," Todoroki muttered.

Steam arose from Todoroki's hand as he used his left side's Quirk to start to melt away the ice from Yuki.

* * *

It took a little while for the ice to be cleared up. After freeing Yuki, Todoroki had left, not wanting to see how his old man Endeavor was looking at that moment.

Yuki returned to the stands, wrapped in a thick blanket, still shivering a bit.

"Yuki…!" Izuku approached him as he sat down. "That was… We only left for a minute and it was over—"

The blonde boy turned his head away, so Izuku stopped, knowing that he must've been feeling bitter. This however didn't stop Mei from jumping in.

"You must've _really_ made him mad! What did you do?!"

"Mei…" Izuku put a hand on her shoulder and shook his head at her. She shrugged.

"Just wondering," the girl muttered to herself.

Yuki looked down at his hands, which were still shaking a bit.

"Midoriya, I don't know what anyone can do against that," Yuki spoke, clutching his fists tightly, trying to stop them from shaking. "If he's upset at all, he can just… End you. Instantly."

Izuku looked at Yuki, surprised to see such a defeated expression and tone from him. Usually, their class rep was very stern and confident in himself, but now he had been brought down to a new low.

"W-W beat him before, didn't we? That means there's a chance," Izuku spoke.

Yuki looked up at him with a serious expression.

"I'm sorry," he said simply. "We can't compete with them on our own."

While Izuku was shaken up by the defeated Yuki's words, Shiro slowly stood up from nearby and walked away. They noticed her going, but she didn't say a word as she left.

"Her match is next, I wonder what she's thinking," Mei thought aloud.

"Shiro…" Izuku looked down at the field that had been cleared of ice. "Will we all lose on our own..?"

* * *

"**The assassin from Class B! From the hero class, It's Ibara Shiozaki!**

"**VERSUS—**"

"**The feisty Support star from Class H— Minami Shiro!**"

As the two walked up onto the stage, the crowd's excitement grew as they were eager to see what would happen with yet another of the Support students facing off with a Hero Class student.

"**This should be quite the interesting ma**—"

"Excuse me!" Ibara Shiozaki spoke up, interrupting him as he looked up towards the commentator's booth. "What do you mean by 'Assassin?' I have only come to find victory, not take my opponents life."

"**I-I'm sorry!**"

As Shiozaki went off on a tangent to explain how she was pure, Shiro was focused on her thoughts.

_I have to win… I gotta show Yuki and Midoriya that we can do this! _She thought, gazing at her opponent.

Shiro was used to being doubted her whole life due to her short stature and Quirk that wasn't well suited for combat. Early on, the girl had dreams of becoming a Hero like her idol, the Disc Hero Shortstack, a Hero who was proud of their lack of a physical build and did their work loud and proud. Her Father told many stories about the Heroes he'd met and how they overcame hardships.

Of course over time, Shiro uncovered the fact that her idol utilized combat enhancements to really excel. This got her into designing and creating devices that would help her reach her goal—

Then her Father, who had been a heavy inspiration to her from his tales of working for Heroes as their manager, passed away.

Shiro had to face the harsh reality of herself and what she could logically accomplish, but she just didn't want to.

Taking on a loud and proud personality like her idol and her late Father, Shiro decided to go against the odds, relentlessly pursuing boys out of her league to make herself known, while creating stronger devices that would put her on top one day— And Support Class was her ticket to rising up and grasping that goal.

_When I got to the U.A Entrance Exams, I thought I had to cheat to get ahead, _ she thought, remembering how she had duped Izuku during the first phase. _But seeing Midoriya fight with his all despite being Quirkless… I..._

"**Let's get this show on the road! Give us a lengthy match this time!**"

Shiro pressed a switch, and the metal legs at her waist hoisted her up, matching the height of her opponent. She had fixed up the device during their downtime, after it had been broken in the Cavalry Battle. With the restrictions being placed on the Support Class now, it was the only thing she could count on for the fight.

"**Start!**"

There was a loud bang as Shiro kicked off and instantly ran towards her opponent, the metal legs leaving small craters in their wake, steam rising from them with every step.

_I have to give it my all too!_

Shiozaki was calm as she turned away, her vine-like hair growing and forming into a strong barrier between them.

Up in the stands, Yuki gripped the blanket around himself tightly as he watched.

_Going in head-on was what I decided as well, _Yuki thought. _But they'll find a way to overpower you..._

Shiro held one leg out to slide to a stop, steam rising from her robotic leg device, before dashing to the right, trying to go around the vine wall. However, some of the vines went under the stage and shot up, trying to grasp Shiro.

"**The action ramps up real quick! Will it last though?**"

Shiro was forced to move and jump back as vines shot up where she was standing over and over, driving her further away. Eventually, she realized she was getting too close to the boundaries of the stage.

_I already lost focus! Gotta get back!_

The girl started to make her way around the edge of the stage, curving around to try and make it back to Shiozaki. She noticed that the plant-haired girl was eyeing her intensely as she approached.

Suddenly, a vine came up horizontally from the ground, tripping Shiro up. As she stumbled forward, all the other vines came flying in towards her from all around.

_Not good—! _Shiro thought about what Izuku or Yuki might do in that moment, imagining what they could manage when the odds seemed against them. _I don't know if I can escape!_

Then another person came to mind, the girl Shiro had considered a rival from the fact that she created many inventions that always impressed everyone, even the boys that Shiro chased after.

_Hatsume… What would you do?_

She remembered how Mei had broken her own precious 'baby' to help bring them to victory in the Cavalry Battle. Something unfathomable and unexpected was what was needed for Shiro to win, and she finally had a clear vision of what that was.

Shiro used her forward momentum to dive under the oncoming vines, scrambling up and continuing forward, rushing straight towards Shiozaki, the girl seeming calm the entire time.

_If I can get close enough, then I'll do it!_

A vine snagged Shiro's robotic leg for a moment and she managed to pull it free, but that split second of stopping was enough for the rest of the vines to come in on her all at once.

Shiro tried to jump back to avoid them, but the vines wrapped around her lower half and the robotic legs, ensnaring her there. She grunted and struggled to pull away, but they were too tight.

"**Shiro is ensnared in Shiozaki's deadly trap! Is this gonna be the end?**"

The vines began to move up to try and grasp her body completely. Shiozaki held her hands up to her chest, looking solemn as she watched a few yards ahead of her.

"Please give up soon, I do not wish to hurt you," the plant-haired girl spoke.

"You should just shut up," Shiro grumbled as she began to fiddle with the robotic legs and detaching them from herself. "You just act all high and mighty but don't get your hands dirty!"

Thanks to her small frame, Shiro was able to slip her legs out from the vines grasp, but kept clinging to the vines, hoping her opponent wouldn't notice, only able to see Shiro's head beyond the vines from where she was standing.

"I'm sorry that you feel that way," Shiozaki responded calmly, raising her hands as the vines began to come out from the ground more and more, wrapping themselves around and tightly constricting her target—

But this was what Shiro had wanted. The hydraulics of the robotic leggings used a mixture of water and a special oil that allowed for powerful and quick maneuverability and kept them usable for hours. However, this built up a lot of pressure, so the leggings exhumed steam from vents located on either leg to relieve this pressure and allow the legs to follow the user's movements.

If the vents were tampered with, though, there was nowhere for the pressure to go, which would result in the legs exploding, unless someone were to purposefully sabotage it to suit their needs so it burst in a specific spot and...

_This has to work! _Shiro was nearly unable to hold on anymore as the vines constricted the leggings tighter. Finally, she finished her work and hopped backwards, holding her hands over her ears and ducking for cover.

There was a loud explosion sound, many of the vines shooting away as they were blown off. The metal leggings shot out of the vines' hold, straight towards Shiozaki. The girl ducked down quickly, the metal flying over her head.

"Oh no, what have I done?!" Shiozaki looked back, seeing the robotic legs stopping before they reached the wall of the stands, falling to the ground in a smoking heap. She turned forwards again, and was both relieved and surprised to find Shiro running at her. _A distraction?!_

It was too late to react as Shiro tackled the girl to the ground.

"I-I did it!" Shiro laughed maniacally at her success.

There was a stunned silence in the stadium, with not even Present Mic willing to say anything about what was happening. In the stands, Izuku and Yuki watched, their expressions dull. _T-This is… Kind of… _Izuku wasn't even sure what to think.

Down on the stadium, Shiro was furiously groping Shiozaki's breasts while looking up to the sky and laughing. For a few moments, nobody knew what they were supposed to think about the current predicament.

Eventually, Shiozaki, who was showing a rare face of embarrassment, pushed Shiro off and covered her face with her hands.

"H-How could you do something so shameless?!"

"**O-One of the students who got in through recommendations is reduced to this?!**"

Yuki facepalmed, but couldn't help but chuckle. Izuku looked at him, surprised to find him smiling a bit now.

"That's so stupid," Yuki said. "I don't know why I'm surprised."

"W-Well, I guess this is how us Support students fight best, right," Izuku responded, chuckling as well. The air of dread over them was starting to lift as they watched on.

Shiro stood confidently and cracked her knuckles, approaching Shiozaki, the girl peering through her fingers at Shiro.

"Next I'm going all the way," Shiro said with a dark undertone, the Sun above her making her look dark and ominous.

"I-I'd never allow that!" Shiozaki quickly got up and ran, her vine hair receding back up to her head, as Shiro chased after her quickly.

"Go Shiro!"

"Get her ass!"

Class 1-H cheered as Shiozaki neared the edge of the arena and came to a stop as she briefly came to her senses, but a nice gentle _slap_ on the rear from Shiro made her jump right out of bounds.

"**Ahh! It's over! What the heck kind of festival is this?!** **Does the judge have any comments?**"

Everyone looked to Midnight, who seemed to have a serious expression on her face. After a moment, she flicked her whip hard and suddenly had a big smile.

"Ibara Shiozaki is out of contention!"

The cheers from 1-H erupted out and caused everyone else to cheer as well, though they were a little reluctant at first.

"**I don't know what's going on, but Shiro from Class H moves on to the next round!**"

Shiro smiled cheekily up to the crowd, waving her hands excitedly.

_You see that boys? Was that the spark you needed?_

It was what Izuku and Yuki needed, just perhaps not how they had expected to receive the motivation.

"Well, glad that's all settled! Time to prepare," Mei exclaimed, standing and stretching.

"Oh, you're up next, right Mei? That means it's you and…" Izuku thought for a moment, then gasped. "I-I forgot! It's Kacchan!"

Mei chuckled and gave a confident thumbs up. "Yup! I'm totally gonna lose!"

"I guess that's a realistic thought process," Yuki commented.

"Y-Yuki!" Izuku shot him a glare. Mei smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Don't worry, I know what I'm doing! I've always got a plan, remember?" The girl held out a fist to him.

Izuku looked to the girl, a bit conflicted, though he knew better at this point to doubt Mei's planning ability. He returned the smile and bumped fists with her, much like they had done many times before.

"Then give it your all, Mei!"

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: PLAYED: Mei vs. Bakugo**


	29. PLAYED: Mei vs Bakugo (SF Arc)

_**A/N:**__** I had a broken phone for a bit, so writing was tough— And now I need a new laptop, that might make it a little difficult to post as much. But the reason this chapter took forever was moreso because Pokemon released and that took over my life for a while lmao. So no promises, but here we go!**_

**Chapter Twentyseven- PLAYED: Mei vs. Bakugo**

More of the matches continued on after Shiro rejoined her classmates to celebrate her victory.

* * *

First up was Tenya Iida versus Hanta Sero:

The fight went fairly quickly, with Sero's tape Quirk and reaction speeds well enough to do well at the start, but Iida's incredible speed and tactical planning made it a very quick match as he pushed his classmate out of bounds before Sero realized what was happening.

Iida, as expected, politely bowed to his opponent and helped him up, garnering cheers from the crowd for his sportsmanship.

* * *

Next was Eijiro Kirishima and Tetsutetsu Tetsutetsu:

The two were confident as they approached the stage, glaring at each other.

"Now I can finally show that my Quirk's superior;" Tetsutetsu scowled.

"Yeah right, yours is just a copy," Kirishima retorted.

The two were angered by the fact that they were constantly being compared due to their similar Quirks. Luckily, they both had special devices created by the Support Class for just such an occasion.

Tetsutetsu was smirking as he placed the shock-absorption devices Izuku had created onto each arm. When he looked up at Kirishima though, his expression dropped and he pointed at him accusingly.

"W-What the hell is that?"

Kirishima smirked, his arms now equipped with two _very similar _devices to Tetsutetsu's.

"From the Support Class! They'll let me punch way harder—- Wait what?!" Kirishima gasped as he saw Tetsutetsu's devices.

The two both looked up into the crowd, straight towards Class 1-H where Izuku and Mei were sitting. Izuku gulped.

"Mei… What did you make for that Kirishima guy…?"

"Well he wanted to hit harder, so I made a couple of babies that absorb the shock from the impact," Mei explained.

Izuku sighed and slumped down into his seat. "I think you're rubbing off on me too much…"

Mei chuckled. "Well look at it this way, now we can see whose creation is better!"

Down on the field, Kirishima and Tetsutetsu scowled and readied themselves, Kirishima hardening his skin while Tetsutetsu's body became like steel.

"This is getting too repetitive!" They both yelled in unison.

As the battle began, it was a furious test of blows to each other, without any regard for dodging or trying to block. Everyone watched the exciting test of strength and endurance, as the two were able to punch much faster and harder thanks to there being little shock from hitting their opponent.

Eventually, the two delivered finishing blows, punching each other hard in the face. Izuku's device broke off of Tetsutetsu's arm, while Mei's stayed in tact.

"O-Oh no! It broke," Izuku exclaimed.

"Aha! I win!" Mei jumped up triumphantly.

Izuku would've felt bad if that cost Tetsutetsu the match, but the two both fell at the same time, mutually KO'd, which was a big relief to Izuku.

In the end, they were to wait to decide the victor until the two recovered to settle it with an arm-wrestling match.

* * *

The next fight was Denki Kaminari vs. Mina Ashido:

Based on the Cavalry Battle, Izuku knew that Kaminari's electricity Quirk was powerful, but he could also recall how Ashido's odd, secreted substance seemed to have many different uses.

Kaminari was cocky from the get go, wanting to end it all quickly.

"Indiscriminate Shock!" As he yelled, he brought his hands forward, sending electric shocks all over the stage—

However, Ashido was ready for this. Thanks to her Quirk allowing her to change the solubility and viscosity of her acid, she was able to cover herself in it without having to worry about it hurting her at all. This prevented the electricity from being conducted into her, and left Kaminari with a dumbfounded look as his electricity made him go brainless.

"You make it too easy!~" Ashido ran in and simply pushed the boy back out of contention. Kaminari landed on the ground and just sort of rolled around mindlessly as Ashido was declared the winner.

* * *

When it came time for Mei to head down to the field, nobody was more nervous than Izuku, who was pacing back and forth in the stands, a hand over his mouth as he muttered incoherently. Yuki and Shiro watched him for a bit, finding it a bit amusing.

"Midoriya… Are you still nervous about your upcoming fight? Did I not inspire you enough," Shiro questioned, cracking her knuckles. "Because I can _totally _grab someone and—"

Yuki put a hand on the girl's head to push her away, making her struggle against his strength.

"You're worried about Hatsume, right?"

Izuku stopped and looked down to the stage below, where Mei was walking out now.

"We kind of ticked Kacchan off," Izuku explained. "So of course I'm worried."

Yuki let go of Shiro, who scowled and began to weakly hit him as he acted like he didn't notice her.

"At this point, I don't know if anyone could stop her," Yuki responded. "She seems to have a lot of things figure out."

Izuku nodded, not taking his eyes off the field below.

_Mei… Kacchan… _

Being worried about Mei's safety was only part of it. The other was seeing his old friend and his new friend having to face off against each other. The conflicting emotions were a jumble of confusion within Izuku's mind, as he wasn't sure what he should be feeling.

"**It's another showdown between the Support and Hero Classes!**"

As Present Mic began to announce, the crowd got fired up from the anticipation of seeing more crazy antics and the rivalry that was brewing between the Heroes and the Support classes. Mei and Bakugo began to walk out onto the stage.

"**At 2-1, will the Hero course even the score?"** Present Mic's question only furthered the hype. "**We have the wild Mei Hatsume from Class H, and the star of the Hero Entrance Exams, Katsuki Bakugo!"**

As the two stopped, Mei smiled widely and waved around to the crowd. Bakugo watched her, cracking his knuckles as an equally big, but infinitely more sinister, appeared on his face. Everyone in Class 1-A gulped as they knew just how explosive their classmate could be.

"Whoever the hell you are, pink-hair," Bakugo scowled. "I'm gonna kick your ass."

Mei looked over at the seething boy and chuckled. "They just said my name ya know!"

"**Are. You. Ready?! Let's Begin!"**

Suddenly there was a bit of mic feedback, as Mei flipped the microphone on that was at her ear. She spread her hands out and began to make her announcement, turning away from her opponent.

"_**That's right! I'm Hatsume Mei of the Support Class! And today, I'm going to show off what I can of my wonderful babies!**_"

Bakugo was ticked off instantly as Mei's voice carried around the stadium. "You think this is a fuckin' circus show?" He rushed in, using his left hand behind himself to explode forward, his right hand ready to strike.

There was a small beep as Bakugo grew near, and the Drift device that Mei had tinkered with suddenly shot a powerful force from the left chamber and propelled her to her right, avoiding him with ease. As she landed on the ground again, Mei spun on her heels, turning towards the crowd yet again.

"_**This wonderful baby was created by my good friend Izuku, but I've made many modifications to it to show off its true potential!**__**Sensors all around detect oncoming attacks!"**_

Bakugo was rushing in quickly again, having only been surprised for a moment. He came in fast, reaching and sending an explosion forward at a bit more of a range, trying to surprise his opponent so she couldn't dodge.

Up in the stands, Izuku leaned forward in his seat, gasping. _S-She didn't dodge it-!_

* * *

**~Mid Chapter Break~**

**(Device Breakdown)**

**Name: **Drift

**Creator: **Izuku Midoriya (Edited by Mei Hatsume)

**Function: **Maneuverability

**Appearance: **A steel piece that's worn like a belt around the waist. From the belt piece are two long metal pieces pointing backwards, down and away from the user, one to the right and one to the left.

**How It Works: **At first, this device works based on either voice commands or hand movements. It allows the user to quickly swivel and avoid oncoming attacks, acting as a sort of focal point for them to move around(EX: Like a martial artist might do with a staff.). Within each chamber, a metal rod can be loaded in. This rod can be fired out with intense pressure, propelling the user in either direction, or can be used as an attack itself(EX: Izuku using it on the robot in the obstacle race.) The rod itself is in tact and can be recovered for later use, otherwise loading a new rod into the chamber is as simple as pushing it in and twisting til a noise is heard. During the Festival, Hatsume Mei has made some adjustments, such as sensors that can detect and dodge oncoming threats from any angle.~

* * *

There was smoke looming from the explosion, and Bakugo smirked a bit for a moment, before realizing that Mei was still standing within it. As the smoke cleared a bit, it was apparent that the Drift device had slammed the metal rods into the ground, stabilizing Mei, who was covered in a bit of soot but otherwise was smiling as if she didn't care.

"_**This baby is even capable of detecting powerful forces, and quickly stabilizing you!"**_

"W-Wow, she was able to make it automatic?" Izuku smiled excitedly in the stands. "That's amazing!"

"Did you expect any differently? That girl's pretty crazy," Shiro commented excitedly.

"Says the one who committed a crime on national TV," Yuki muttered, which garnered a huff from Shiro.

Back down below, Bakugo let out a yell of frustration.

"You can't make a fool out of me! Now you're just an easier target!"

Bakugo took a step forward, bringing his hands together with them open slightly towards Mei. They began to glow and emit a high pitched noise.

"Just die!"

The spiky-haired boy sent out a large explosion outwards, a powerful blast that left a crater along the ground as it shot out towards the wall and exploded the whole way, making those sitting around that area get up in a panic. Luckily however, Mei had leaned back and fired off the two Drift chambers, sending herself flying backwards away from the attack.

"**Ahh, Hatsume manages to dodge yet again-!**"

"_**This sort of thing is easy thanks to this amazing baby!"**_

"**H-hey, the commentary is my job!"  
**

Bakugo's hands were smoking as he flexed them, shaking off the slight pain he was feeling from letting off such a strong attack. He watched as Mei slid across the ground in a sort of elegant manner, the girl smiling still, enjoying the attention immensely. Her eyes were looking up towards the stands, which only made Bakugo more angry.

"Who the hell are you looking at? I'm your opponent!" Bakugo waved a finger at her accusingly.

Up in the stands, Mei had her eye on certain individuals using her Zoom quirk- The businessmen who had come to watch and analyze the Sports Festival for money purposes. The men were watching with intrigue, a couple of them talking amongst themselves hurriedly.

_I'm not done yet!~ _Mei thought as she clicked a button at her waist.

Suddenly, Bakugo felt something on his right arm. He looked down, surprised as he noticed a metal bracelet of sorts expanding on it. Confused, he grabbed it with his opposite hand and tried to tug it off, but it was tightly holding onto him.

"What is that? Is that a Support item…?" Izuku looked to Yuki and Shiro, who shrugged.

Behind them, there was a snicker. They turned and looked up at Soga Ninsei, the boy whose Quirk allowed him to detach his limbs and use them from afar.

"Hatsume had such a wicked plan, that there was no way I couldn't help her out! Especially after that jerk Bakugo stomped on my hand like that," Ninsei said with a scowl.

"A plan?"

The pretty-boy Ninsei laughed cockily. "Of course, a secret plan that will now enact and show that we Supports are the ultimate-"

By now, the other three had turned their attention back to the field, ignoring him. He ran back out in front of them, waving his hands.

"O-Okay okay! So basically, I slipped one of Hatsume's devices onto Bakugo," Ninsei explained. "After she saw how I was able to trick him in the Obstacle Race, she wanted me to try and get it on him!"

"Sabotage is surely going to get her disqualified," Yuki pointed out.

"Mei wouldn't do that," Izuku said, shaking his head. "Would she…?"

"No it's not like that," Ninsei cut in, shaking his hands furiously. "Since there's that one item limit, Hatsume can't show everything off. So she gave one to Bakugo for him to show off for her!"

Izuku and Yuki were shaken by this. Shiro fell back in laughter.

"That's such a crazy work-around! Hatsume's totally the best," the girl exclaimed as she laughed.

"Well, leave it up to her to do something wild. No way would Bakugo have accepted the device from anyone," Yuki commented.

Izuku looked down towards the stage, conflicted about this new development.

_Mei, what the heck are you doing?!_

Down on the field, Bakugo finally gave up on removing the device. He looked up at Mei with contempt, the girl looking back and giving him a taunting hand motion to say, 'Bring it on.'

"Bakugo! What is that device? Were you sabo-"

Midnight's words were cut off as Bakugo exploded forward, both hands behind himself as he rushed down his opponent in the blink of an eye. Now Mei felt the pressure of the fight, her smile wavering a bit as she saw the boy coming at her with powerful explosions.

"First that bastard Deku…" Bakugo reached his left hand towards Mei, the Drift device beeping and sensing this, propelling her up into the air. However, this was merely a feint as Bakugo didn't set off his left hand, and instead lifted his right hand upwards towards her. "I won't let you do the same, salmon head!"

The device on Bakugo's arm made a noise before he fired off an explosion up towards Mei. The girl was sent flying away a bit from the attack, managing to slide along the ground and come to a stop. However, Bakugo was already upon her again.

"**Bakugo's relentless! Will the defensive strategy perish?**"

"_Calculating… 80% chance to dodge left,_" came a voice from the device on Bakugo's arm.

"What?" Ignoring it for the most part, Bakugo tried to throw a punch at Mei, the girl looked back, noticing that she was close to the boundary corner of the stage, forcing her to dodge to her left. Bakugo quickly recovered by exploding his hand from the whiffed punch, sending himself towards Mei as he swung his left hand forward to attack again.

"_100% chance to dodge left._"

Bakugo sent an explosion out towards Mei, who used the Drift to shoot herself to the left to avoid it, now leaving Bakugo with his back to the edge of the stage.

_That thing was right…! _He thought, looking at the device. Mei could see it in Bakugo's eyes as he began to realize.

"_**Well, now it's time to finish it!**__"_

With that announcement, Mei ran straight towards Bakugo, not showing any fear. He held up his right hand towards her, ready to blow her away.

"_100% chance to dodge left or right._"

"Shut the fuck up!" Bakugo angrily spread both hands out and sent explosions to either side of Mei, causing her to stumble as her plan to avoid it was suddenly shambled. As she came closer, Bakugo let out a frustrated yell and stepped foreward, _slamming_ his head into hers, headbutting her and sending her sprawling backwards.

Everyone was in shock at this attack. A small trickle of blood fell down Bakugo's face from the force of the impact. Mei was shaking a bit as she held onto her forehead, slowly walking backwards and looking at him with a shaken smile.

"H-How did she even survive an attack like that," Shiro commented from 1-H's section.

"If anyone is as hard-headed as that guy, it's probably Hatsume," Yuki replied.

"_**T-That baby my powerful helper has equipped can predict to a 99% certainty where your opponent will move, as long as it gets a good scan of the surrounding area!**__"_

Bakugo looked down at the device and clenched his fist tightly.

"Screw your stupid toy! I'm not your helper!" He clamped his teeth down onto the device, trying to get it off that way, ignoring the throbbing pain from the headbutt.

Mei sighed. _I knew it wouldn't be that easy— I guess I gotta go out with a bang!_

"_**Now I'm going to finish it! Which of my marvelous babies will reign supreme?**_"

Mei activated the Drift, firing herself forward up into the air, flying towards Bakugo quickly. He scowled and held his left hand backwards, making an explosion to fly right at her.

"I'll destroy your damned babies!"

"_**That's the spirit!**__"_

"**I don't know what's happening, but it's like they're ready to finish the fight! This is getting crazy,**" Present Mic exclaimed as the crowd was at the edge of their seats.

It was over before anyone could even register what had happened. There were a few explosions, before someone could be seen flying through the smoke.

"_**T-That concludes… the presentation…!**_"

Mei landed outside of the bounds of the stage, bouncing and sliding a bit before stopping, a smile still on her face even as she passed out, smoke rising from her body..

Back on stage, Bakugo was breathing and sweating hard, his palms steaming. In front of him, on the ground in destroyed pieces, was the Drift device.

"_0…%...chance… to… to…"_

The wrist device had gotten damaged as well. Bakugo put a hand over it and blew it up, his Quirk-enhanced sweat protecting his skin from taking any damage as the device fell off to the ground, a smoldering heap.

"Hatsume has been knocked out of bounds! Bakugo is the winner," Midnight announced.

"Gah! That guy really didn't hold back at all," Ninsei exclaimed, watching as Izuku, Yuki, and Shiro all quickly left their seats. "Hey, where are you—"

"They're probably making sure she's alright," came the nearby voice of Taka, who was cleaning his glasses. The short rounded boy pointed up at the monitors.

Up on screen, they showed replays of what had occurred since it was too quick to see.

Mei had attempted to swoop under Bakugo to try and dodge his attack and grab his legs, but Bakugo had reacted very quickly and shot an explosion down, sending her slamming down into the ground. He then followed it up by landing and sending a double-handed explosion to send her flying across the stage and out of bounds. All of this was terrifying for those watching, as they realized just how fast and perceptive Bakugo truly was.

"T-That guy's… a monster," Ninsei commented, gulping.

He hoped and prayed that he wouldn't be found out for helping Mei, less he incur the wrath of the explosive demon.

* * *

Izuku and the others arrived at the Nurse's station as Mei was being attended to. She had some bandages around her head and several patches on her body, but she still smiled at them, though a bit weakly.

"Mei…!" Izuku looked down at her worriedly. "That looked pretty bad, are you alright?"

"Duh! I can't be brought down that—" Mei suddenly broke out into a coughing fit, causing Izuku to panic a bit.

"She's inhaled a good amount of smoke and suffered some minor burns, otherwise she's bruised and rattled from all the explosions," came the voice of Recovery Girl from nearby.

"S-So nothing too bad…?"

Recovery Girl shook her head. "She'll be fine, with some rest. Now can you get out of here! It's cramped with so many of you in here."

The woman shooed them out, but Izuku stayed by the door.

"W-Wait, can I stay at least—?"

"I'm pretty sure you have an important match coming up, so get a move-on," the older woman said, pushing him out and slamming the door.

Izuku sighed and felt a hand on his shoulder. He turned to see Yuki there, giving him a serious look.

"She's right. There's only one more match til you fight Todoroki," he stated. "If there's any adjustments or anything you want to make, now's the time."

"Right," Izuku muttered reluctantly. He remembered what Todoroki had said when they encountered each other right here outside of the Nurse's station, about Izuku projecting onto him.

_The best thing I can do for Mei now… Is to prove that he's wrong, and win the next round. This is my chance to show I belong in the Hero class!_

Clenching his fists tightly, Izuku headed off to begin his final preparations.

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: ZERO - Izuku vs Todoroki**

**_A/N: Next one is the start of the big fight! Thanks for reading, and hope you're looking forward to it!_**


	30. ZERO: Izuku vs Todoroki (SF Arc)

_**A/N: The first part of the fight is here! The second part is already written, so expect it to be released Sunday/Monday ;) **_

**Chapter Twentyeight - ZERO: Izuku vs Todoroki **

All Might had arrived back at the first year stage just in time for the final match of the first round— Momo Yaoyorozu vs. Yuga Aoyama.

_Shit, I missed more than I expected,_ the scrawny man thought as he looked around, eventually spotting the screen that displayed the tournament bracket. He squinted his eyes then promptly widened them as he read the results.

_Class A is doing really well, as expected… But the Support Class is also still going strong, _All Might thought to himself. _And that next match…_

He gazed at the bracket where Izuku and Todoroki were set to face off, feeling a bit of worry overtake himself. All Might decided to snap out of it and watch the match below, knowing he needed to support his students first.

Below, Momo was reflecting the oncoming assaults from Aoyama's laser blasts, the elegant boy thrusting his stomach to fire them off at her as she ran around, slowly making her way closer to him. In her hands were mirrors she had created with her Quirk that could redirect the lasers away from herself.

"Merci…! You're making this more fun than it could've been," Aoyama exclaimed, sweating a bit from the effort of keeping up his naval laser for so long, but still looking confident.

"Too bad it's gotta end now," Momo retorted. Her back began to glow a bit as she pulled out a tall shield made of tungsten. She then ran in, closing the distance quickly.

"That won't save you mademoiselle!"

Aoyama focused a strong constant blast right at the girl. She braced herself behind the shield. The laser slammed into the shield and sent it flying.

"**It looks like Yaoyorozu's been blasted away!**"

However, it has merely been a strategic feint. Momo had moved out of the way and ran up to Aoyama, the bright beam of light making it tough to see her as he focused straight ahead of himself.

Before Aoyama realized what was happening, Momo had already slammed him with one of the mirrors she had created, sending him stumbling backwards til he fell out of bounds, his laser sputtering out.

As the crowd cheered, All Might smiled and nodded, taking notes about those two for future lessons as he turned and hurried off, wanting to find that bright-eyed kid from the Support course…

* * *

When it was nearly time to go, Izuku racked his thoughts and went over his plan.

_My limit is still three shots, _he thought, examining his first and still favorite invention, the 'Flow'. It was only natural that it would be his one device, as it almost single-handedly got him through the Entrance Exam and has proven to be very effective for combat. _And one shot can recharge in about ten seconds… That's the best I can do._

Izuku knew it wasn't enough, that he would need more to give himself an edge against an overwhelming opponent.

Thus, he had no choice but to add a way to break the regulators. Within the Flow, the regulators were there to insure it didn't get overcharged and didn't overwork itself, that way it wouldn't explode or short circuit.

_But that might be what I need! _Izuku set it up so that he could break the regulators by grabbing and pulling a wire hidden behind the backpack strap. He tested it and heard a distinct high-pitched noise as the Flow began to condense more and more air. He quickly fixed it up and nodded to himself, confirming that it would work. _As long as I hear it getting overclocked, I know it worked, but I don't know how long the Flow can work in that state…_

He closed up the encompassing canvas backpack, which was made of certain material that helped to stave away heat or cold damage, and put the device on, along with the accompanying gloves, and hooked everything up together before heading out towards the field. To his surprise, Yuki was there waiting for him.

"Hey, Me and the others figured you might need these," the tall boy stated, presenting some items to Izuku.

"These are…" Izuku looked over them. They were shin guards and arm guards, made of a very shiny and strong looking metal.

"After seeing you nearly break your hand on Todoroki's ice to punch it, we got some of the metalworkers of the class to get you something," Yuki explained with a shrug. "The Support students are allowed to wear costumes and accessories, so it should be fine."

Izuku nodded to him and smiled. "Tell everyone thank you for me!"

Yuki smirked. "Just tell them yourself after you beat that guy. You gotta avenge my pride, ya know."

With that, Yuki patted Izuku's shoulder and headed off. Izuku watched him go, smiling before walking again.

As Izuku rounded a corner, he stopped as he saw yet another surprising figure standing there near the entrance to the tunnel.

"E-Endeavor…?!"

The large fiery man looked over at Izuku, his arms crossed. A small smirk appeared on his very serious face.

"I'm surprised you're even bothering to go out there," Endeavor spoke.

"W-What…?"

"My creation is going to crush you. Are you sure you can handle that?"

Izuku gritted his teeth and pressed on, wanting to walk right past Endeavor, wanting to ignore the whole 'creation' subject. However, he ended up stopping just past him, his eyes downcast as he couldn't quite handle the man's stern gaze.

"...Why won't he use his flames?"

Endeavor's smile dropped, and he eyed Izuku a bit more closely now.

"Shoto has talked to you hm? I'm surprised," Endeavor spoke, scoffing. "He's in his rebellious stage, but soon enough he'll realize what I've given him."

Izuku wanted nothing more than to press the matter further, but he continued on, his head hanging low. Endeavor watched him go, leaving him with a final comment:

"If you want to be useful in your life, then at least piss Shoto off enough to get him to unleash the fire within him."

Izuku stopped and looked back, seeing the #2 Hero walking away now. Outside, the crowd was starting to cheer as Present Mic began to hype up the second round of the oncoming tournament. He turned and started to walk through the tunnel, his eyes closed as he tried to calm his nerves.

_Can't let it get to me, can't let it get to me, can't—_

**_"I am here!"_**

Izuku gasped and jumped back, surprised to see the scrawny All Might standing near the end of the tunnel, wearing a black business suit.

"All Might….?" Izuku clenched his fists. "Are you…" _Please don't be here to try and turn me away from the fight…_

The Hero rubbed the back of his head awkwardly. "I missed most of the first round, but I see you did well. Are you nervous?"

Izuku nodded, and gave a simple, "Yeah."

All Might was a bit perplexed by Izuku's lack of enthusiasm. Something had changed since the last time he had seen him, and it wasn't good.

Young TTodoroki is strong, probably the strongest of the Hero classes," All Might admitted. "He's been born with powerful Quirks— And you… You're Quirkless, and have to work twice has hard as anyone else to get what you need."

Izuku clenched his fists tightly, looking away as he felt an odd shamed sensation.

"However—" Izuku looked up at All Might as the man continued. "That's exactly why you can win. Despite your backgrounds, you're still here, ready to face him on even grounds. The journey to this point by itself is a miracle."

Izuku's eyes widened, and All Might gave him a big smile, reaching out and putting a hand on his shoulder.

"Only you can decide to continue or not. And I believe that, if you do, you can accomplish great things, Midoriya."

Hearing such things from his idol was too much, as Izuku felt himself tearing up. He quickly brought his arm up to wipe them off, as All Might gave a hearty laugh.

"But of course, Young Todoroki is part of my class! I can only praise his abilities as well," All Might admitted. "But I know that you can go beyond what anyone expects of you. Everyone is watching. Show them your Plus Ultra!"

Izuku couldn't stop the smile from coming through. He knelt down and began to strap on the metal guards that his classmates had created for him.

"**And now the first match of the second round is set! The hype is burning for these two!**"

"I won't give up All Might! I'll become a Hero as great as you!"

Izuku stood and ran past the #1 Hero, out into the bright stadium, with the people roaring with excitement. He could feel that something had changed within himself. Before meeting Mei, he probably would've been too afraid to run out with confidence, and would be too entranced by All Might to even want to move.

_I guess I was worried for nothing, _All Might thought as he watched him go. He had taken a liking to the young bright-eyed boy, and had the slightest inkling that he could be a great successor for him- If it weren't for what he had seen from the third year student he had been watching.

_I know you'll do great things in life, no matter what!_

* * *

_Why have I changed so much? It's not just Mei—_

As Izuku slowly made his way up the steps to the stage, the roar of the crowd dying out in his mind as he focused, he reflected on everything that has given him the power to change.

"_Izuku… I'm so sorry!"_

His mother's words echoed in his mind from when he was a heartbroken child deemed Quirkless. At that moment, she didn't understand what he had truly wanted. All he needed to hear was…

"_You're gonna go far, kid. Don't let… nobody tell you anything... otherwise…" _

Those words from the dying Paper Mache had truly hit home. It helped Izuku see a clear path for his future, one where his best friend, his classmates, and even his idol were believing in him with everything they had. He couldn't disappoint them, so the only option was to run ahead until his body and mind gave out.

As Izuku reached the stage, he looked ahead sternly towards the new barrier that was blocking his path— Shoto Todoroki.

"**It's the superstar of Support Class H, Izuku Midoriya! VERSUS— The ice-cold prodigy of Hero Class A, Shoto Todoroki!**"

Izuku squatted and began to stretch his legs, knowing he was going to need to be in prime condition for his plan to work. The whole time, he and Todoroki locked eyes.

"You don't seem to understand what I'm capable of," Todoroki said as Izuku stood back up. "Otherwise you might've given up. You won't get lucky like in the Cavalry battle."

"Of course I understand," Izuku said, pointing towards him. "You have a whole 'nother half of your Quirk that you refuse to use…"

Todoroki's eyes narrowed a bit at this. Izuku smiled slightly, before thumbing to himself and continuing.

"And if you don't use it, then I'll beat you in front of your old man!"

In the stands, Endeavor was watching sternly, his flaming beard bright as he eyed his son, ready and hoping to see him embrace his whole power, but doubting a Quirkless kid could be the one to make him do it.

"But also," Izuku continued, "If you can win without it, you'll prove him wrong! So I expect you to go all out!"

Todoroki was surprised by this and the way that Izuku was smiling, the nervousness within him not as apparent as it was before. The dual-colored boy scoffed and shook his head.

"Shut up already," he muttered.

There was a loud sound of mic feedback that echoed around the arena.

"**OH NO, not aga—**"

"_**Ladies and gentlemen! It's time for the big show to begin!**_"

Izuku looked around, surprised to hear Mei's voice booming out into the stands.

He couldn't quite see her, but Mei was on top of the commentator's booth, having hacked into the communications system while Present Mic panicked in the booth below.

"_**Introducing the new and upcoming member of the Hero Class— Izuku Midoriya!**_"

The crowd was surprised, as talk began about a Quirkless student making it into the Hero class. Cheers rang out from Class 1-H's section, and Izuku stood proudly to make sure he looked the part.

"_**Watch as his superior intellect and skill drives him to become the #1 Hero!**_"

Suddenly Class H began to chant: "Quirkless. Hero! Quirkless. Hero! Quirkless. Hero!"

It was tough for Izuku to remain calm, as now he felt like he just wanted to cry from the overwhelming support. He gazed up towards the commentator's booth, spotting his closest friend there finally. Mei gave him a thumbs up, and he nodded to her, smiling.

"Unfortunately for you, the future will take hold of the strong," Todoroki spoke finally. Izuku looked at him with renewed confidence, knowing nothing else could be said.

It was go time.

* * *

**~Mid-Chapter Break~**

**(Device Breakdown)**

**Name: **Flow

**Creator:** Izuku Midoriya

**Function: **Fires bursts of air for maneuvering or attacking.

**Appearance: **The unit is a cylindrical shaped device, which is encased in a heat and cold-proof backpack to be worn with ease. It sucks in and condenses a lot of air, allowing the user to fire it either from connected boots or gloves. The gloves are used to send signals to the Flow unit to determine the power and where to fire the burst. (EX: Curling your right pinky in then releasing it will fire a weak burst of air from the right boot, with enough force to lift a leg off the ground. This sort of weak burst would be better used for turning in mid-air or combat.)

* * *

Mei was shortly run off by Present Mic after he discovered her, the man returning to the commentator's booth with a huff.

"**OK. Maybe we can get through a match without interruption! Let's just get this show going—-! Start!**"

Class H's chants for Izuku were drowned out as the crowd excitedly cheered as the match began.

Soon after though, they would all fall silent, as they watched the intense action unfold almost immediately.

Todoroki brought his right foot forward, causing the floor to grow icy and spikes of ice to shoot up in a column, heading straight towards Izuku. Of course, Izuku was prepared for a quick assault, tensing himself as he fired off air from his Flow to jump over the oncoming attack.

Unrelenting, Todoroki brought up his right hand, sending a wave of cold air that caused the ice below Izuku to grow larger, threatening to knock him out of the air. Izuku was already planning on shooting forward, releasing his two pointer fingers to blast ahead towards Todoroki, moving his body forward with his arms and legs at the ready for anything his opponent might try to do.

"**In a quick instant, Midoriya closes the gap!"**

Getting in close was the key, Izuku had realized after talking to Yuki some more. Though he had overwhelmed Yuki with the largest feat of ice anyone had ever seen, the class rep believed that Todoroki was ticked off about something and erupted in his anger.

_Step 1… Get in close!_

Todoroki tensed up and formed a wall of ice from his right at an angle, so it could both protect him while also flying right up to hit Izuku.

Izuku was able to reach him first and managed to step onto the top of the rising ice wall, jumping over as some of the ice clung to his left foot as it made contact. Todoroki gazed up at him with a bit of surprise as Izuku was able to break the distance advantage he had in mere seconds.

"It won't be that easy!" As Izuku exclaimed that, he twisted in mid-air and brought his right leg forward, kicking Todoroki right in the face.

Sliding back a bit, Todoroki created some ice to brace himself before he slid out of the arena. He felt the left side of his face where he had been struck, eyeing Izuku seriously.

"**The first blow has landed! What the heck is this kid?!**"

"It's already over," Todoroki spoke. Pressing his right foot down, ice formed along the ground before reaching the wall of ice he had formed earlier. It was directly behind Izuku, close enough to attack him from his blindspot.

However, Izuku was fully aware of this. From facing and watching Todoroki before, he knew that no ice was safe. If he managed to cover the entire arena in ice, it would probably be all over, so Izuku couldn't let that happen. Thus, he had taken it to himself to keep it in his mind where all of the ice Todoroki had emitted was at all times.

Pillars of ice shot out from the ice wall, almost hitting Izuku in the back. The Quirkless boy turned and brought his left leg upwards, releasing a finger on his left hand to send a burst of air from his boot, accelerating his kick as he managed to smash right through the oncoming ice, sending crystals of ice all around. At the same time, the bit of ice that had been covering his left boot shattered, freeing him from any worry of that coming back to haunt him later.

"I said… it won't be that easy!"

Izuku followed his kick through, kicking off of the ground with his right foot to rush Todoroki down, the boy surprised as he watched him coming.

_That still hurt, but I'll live!_ Izuku thought, the metal shin guard making breaking the ice easier, but his leg still felt like it was throbbing from the force of the impact.

Todoroki held his right hand to the side, forming ice along the ground before using his right foot to move himself along the ice, escaping the edge of the arena and curving back towards the center. Izuku stopped and turned to face him.

_He actually ran away…! _Izuku was surprised, this action only helping his determination. He could hear the Flow making a whirring noise as it was refilling its air supply as he took off again, running towards Todoroki. _But I can't stop now! I'm back to square zero— Gotta do Step 1 again!_

"**It's a relentless assault! Fight fight fight!**"

Meanwhile, in the faculty room, the Heroes who were assisting with the event watched on with intrigue— But nobody was more amped up than Power Loader at that moment, the usually calm man man slamming his fist down onto a table.

"Go, Midoriya!"

Likewise, Class 1-H were leaning over the wall of the stands, shouting their varied support for him.

"Kick his icey ass!"

"P-Please be careful!"

"Think Midoriya! Don't be too hasty!"

The fight was just starting, but it was ramping up quickly. Izuku was ready to put everything on the line to succeed—

But could his will defeat Todoroki's own resolve?

* * *

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: RISE - Izuku vs Todoroki**

_**A/N: Make sure to leave a Review to let me know how you're feeling about the story! :)**_


	31. RISE: Izuku vs Todoroki (SF Arc)

**Chapter Twentynine - RISE: Izuku vs Todoroki**

There was no stopping Izuku's assault. He was going all in right from the start.

Todoroki's breathing was getting a bit heavier, his breath visible and some spots of frost on his clothes from creating so much ice already. He wasn't at his limit yet, not even close, but he knew he had to take it easy unless he wanted to completely incapacitate himself.

_I can't stay on the defensive forever waiting for him to slip up, _Todoroki thought as his opponent ran right at him.

Raising his right hand in a large sweeping motion, he sent a fast wave of ice ahead of himself. This of course forced Izuku to jump into the air to avoid it. The green-haired boy quickly regretted this though, as Todoroki formed a ramp of ice, running right up towards him.

Surprised by Todoroki's sudden approach, Izuku readied his right leg, firing off a gust of air from his right boot to try and deliver a strong kick.

_**Crack! **_Todoroki held his right arm up, a shield of ice forming quickly from it, blocking Izuku's kick, the boy reeling a bit from the pain of hitting it as Todoroki managed to hold his ground from the force.

_Crap, gotta get away— _The ice suddenly latched on to Izuku's right leg, starting to move up quickly. He kicked the ice shield with his left foot, firing off powerful blasts of air from the boots, sending him flying back and making Todoroki slide down the icy ramp before he formed some ice to stop himself.

Landing a ways away, Izuku shivered as he examined his leg. Most of the ice had shattered off, but the cold mixed with the pain of his attacks hitting solid ice were catching up to him.

_This distance isn't good… But getting in close for long enough to do anything is tough too!_

Satisfied with the distance now, Todoroki sent a line of ice straight towards Izuku, which enveloped the icy ramp to grow taller and taller, til it was improbable to go over it.

Izuku barely managed to dodge to his right, firing what little air had built up into the Flow. He stumbled a bit and felt a bit of panic setting on as he saw Todoroki readying for another attack.

_My ten seconds for the Flow to refill… It won't be quick enough!_

Todoroki sent another line of ice spikes shooting up from the ground at a rapid pace. Izuku only had a split second to think of what to do.

The arena had been littered with ice at this point. To Izuku's right was the trail of ice that Todoroki had used to escape from his assault earlier. While it could make for a place to hide, being near Todoroki's ice was never a good idea.

So Izuku did what he and Mei did best— He winged it.

Running forward straight towards the oncoming attack, Izuku jumped right into it, angling himself for the right side of the attack. He let out a gasp as it hit him, a glancing blow that knocked the wind out of him and sent him flying to the side. Some of the ice had latched onto his right arm and leg now, his clothes ripped a bit and some shallow cuts visible, but it was better than taking it head on.

"**Has Midoriya reached the end of his ropes?!**"

Izuku was slow to get up, and Todoroki was ready to take advantage of this— But he paused, for just a second, and that was enough for Izuku to see it.

_His right arm is trembling… The cold must be really affecting him now!_

After a slight delay, Todoroki sent another ice assault towards Izuku, but it was just enough time for him to ready himself.

_Please work…!_

Izuku pulled the cable that he had made to break the Flow's regulator. Instantly he could hear the whirring intensify, the backpack rumbling intensely. As Todoroki sent the ice at him, Izuku readied himself, lurching forward and firing the strongest blast of air from his boots that he could. In the mere seconds the Flow had been overclocked, it had enough to do as well as a normal strong blast, sending Izuku flying up and over the ice, hurdling straight towards Todoroki.

Class H stood and cheered as loud as they could, Yuki, Shiro, and Ken at the helm of the cheers, while Mei had gone into the crowd near the edge of the arena the two were now in to try and get a closer view, joining the cheers by exclaiming, "GO IZUKU!"

Within the faculty room, a table flipped over, and everyone looked over at Power Loader who lifted his arms into the air, feeling a surge of hype that the usually quiet man had never felt beforez

"GO MIDORIYA!"

Todoroki scowled, shakingly clenching his right fist. He brought it up to ready a retaliation, but in mid-air, Izuku clicked his fingers again, the Flow firing _another_ powerful blast, sending him rocketing right into Todoroki before the boy could react.

Todoroki was sent tumbling backwards from the full-body attack, bringing his right leg back to create a barrier of ice to stop him from going out of bounds, gasping as the air was knocked out from him—

But that wasn't the end. Izuku recovered from tumbling quick, continuing his momentum as got up to his feet and kept running, his breathing intense.

Todoroki started to bring up his arms defensively, but Izuku was quick to throw a punch, managing to hit him right in the face with his half-frozen right hand, the ice shattering from it. He then followed it up by clicking his left pinky finger and readying his knee, the Flow firing air from his boot to let him deliver a powerful knee to Todoroki's gut.

_It hurts… But I can't stop…! _

Izuku was ready to bring his left hand in for a punch, but Todoroki suddenly grabbed it, sending ice up it that enveloped it completely. Izuku gasped from the pain and brought his right hand up to Todoroki's chest.

"Just… get out!" Izuku's yell was followed by him clicking the two middle fingers in of the Flow glove, sending a gust barreling out of it right into Todoroki.

The ice wall Todoroki had been using as a brace shattered as he started to fall through it, letting go of Izuku's arm.

_I… I did it—_

Todoroki was dangerously close to the edge of the arena, but he gritted his teeth and went beyond his limit, the pain and numbness starting to overcome his body as he managed to send out ice all around, not caring as he encased himself within it to stop his fall. Izuku was sent flying back, more ice starting to cover his body.

_So cold…! I can't…._

A few moments later, the ice ceased. Izuku was on his hands and knees, ice covering a lot of his body and even half of his face. He was shivering hard, his body failing to move like he wanted it to at this point. He could feel the pain from bruising and the cold consuming him, making him want to just drop down and lie still.

There was a cracking noise as Todoroki broke out from the ice he encapsulated himself in, which almost looked like a cocoon. He stepped out, his breath raspy, the right part of his body nearly entirely covered in frost as he was shivering hard.

_He's still able to move… _

"**They're both heavily damaged! Whose going to finish it?!**"

"_**If you paid attention more, you'd realize one of them's suffered much more,**_" came the voice of Eraser Head from the booth.

"**Ehh? You really think so?**"

By now, the crowd had gone quiet besides Present Mic's quips and Aizawa's retorts. Endeavor trudged down to the wall of the stands and held onto it, leaning over as he shouted.

"It's time boy! Enough toying around!"

Hearing that voice was the last thing Todoroki wanted to hear. His lips trembled a bit as he started to speak softly.

"I… won't… be…" Todoroki trailed off as he tried to focus on moving, but his body didn't want to listen to him.

Izuku could see the struggle, and the flaming figure of Endeavor behind Todoroki in the stands offered a stark contrast between the two. Izuku slowly tried to get up, trembling intensely as he failed to do it, but he was going to try anyways.

"You're not defined… by your Quirk," Izuku managed to speak breathlessly. "You decide… your own path… Todoroki…"

Todoroki watched Izuku's futile attempts at trying to move and get up, shaken a bit and unable to even respond as the cold felt like it was wrapping around his mind.

Izuku fell down again, and lifted his head up slowly, looking at Todoroki with a determined expression.

"You aren't… Your dad… You're… Way stronger…!"

As the cold overtook Todoroki, it changed from a dull pain into a slight hint of warmth. He closed his eyes for a moment, then opened them to a familiar scene.

His mother stood above him, smiling down at him.

"_But you want to be a hero, right? That's fine. You're not bound by his blood... Decide who you want to become. And be all you can be!"_

The pain he had been carrying around for years had seemingly been momentarily lifted from him as he remembered better times, when his Mother would protect and comfort him from his Father's cruelty…

But he then remembered the anger and frustration of his Father's abuse, and his Mother whom had broken down and scarred him. The pressure that had been placed on him his entire life, and the weight of the burden he carried around of being the #2 Hero's son, had caused him to believe that he was the cause of his own suffering.

All of Todoroki's feelings coagulated into a single point— And exploded.

Everyone was shocked as flames burst out from Todoroki's left side, enveloping his left half. The ice around him all melted away quick, his right side starting to defrost rapidly as he began to breathe steadily.

"Yes! Show everybody what you are," Endeavor exclaimed with a wicked grin on his face.

Izuku watched, surprised at the sheer power of Todoroki's flames, able to feel the warmth even from a little ways away.

_Th-There it is… The dual Quirks.._

Izuku knew he needed to get up, or it was all over. If he didn't move, Midnight could possibly even call it before any harm could be done.

_Come on…! Move! Move!_

Todoroki took a step back, lifting his left hand up towards Izuku. He gazed at the flames leaping out from his skin, his face a mix of sadness and anger, the duality of his existence consuming his mind, angering him.

He took another step back.

"This power… _Isn't me!_" Todoroki yelled as he slammed his right foot down, sending a massive torrent of ice forward, straight towards the downed Izuku.

* * *

**~Mid Chapter Break~**

_**A/N: Thanks for reading this far! We're getting into the nitty-gritty that I've been wanting to write since I started. Hope everyone has a great holiday, for anyone that celebrates them! **_

* * *

As the large wave of ice overtook the arena, a mist covered the area, making it hard to see what had happened. Todoroki fell to one knee, breathing heavily as his flames pittered out.

Midnight lifted a hand, the handcuff at her wrist jingling.

"Todoroki has stepped out of the arena! Midoriya is the winner!"

His eyes widened. He looked down and saw that, in fact, the last time he has stepped back, he had stepped out of bounds. The ice began to crack, and part of the cement arena rose up, covering the downed Izuku. The cement covering moved back, and Izuku looked around, confused by what had just happened.

"Good grief, Midnight didn't even have time to call it before he attacked again," Cementoss spoke, having moved from his seat to touch the ground in order to create a barrier to protect Izuku.

The crowd absolutely exploded into cheer.

"**AHHHHHH! Midoriya has done it! He's defeated Todoroki by the skin of his teeth!**"

Hearing this, Izuku's eyes widened. He slowly got up to his knees, barely able to do so as he looked all around at the crowd, who were going ballistic over his win.

"I… won…?

"_**Todoroki was too caught up with his personal issues. He didn't care to check where he was stepping,**_**" **came the commentary from the usually-silent Aizawa from the booth.

It was impossible to truly take in. Todoroki as well was shaken, looking down at his left hand as he remembered the feeling of using his left side's Quirk. The fact that he had gone back on his beliefs, even for a moment, made his mind stir.

He had lost every battle today, physical and mental.

As some medical robots came out to help Izuku, Todoroki slowly stood and began to walk towards the stairs. Izuku saw him going and wanted to say something, but at this point he felt like he could barely move his body.

"Does this hurt?" One of the robots twisted his arm a bit, making him gasp and flail.

"AHH yes!... It hurts a lot!"

"Oops."

They put Izuku on a stretcher and began to rush him off. Izuku's eyes never left Todoroki until his head began to spin, the noises around him drowning out as he slowly closed his eyes and welcomed unconsciousness.

* * *

Though the ramifications of the previous match were still echoing through the stadium and those watching at home were talking excitedly about it, the battles were due to continue on.

Shiro was very hyped up as she made her way into the arena that had been fixed up fairly quickly.

_Time to show off my stuff again! I can't lose after that last o—_

The froze as she saw her opponent walking up onto the stage as well. It was Iida Tenya, of course as she had known, but watching him from afar was very different from seeing him in person.

_Flutter flutter flutter flutter_

Shiro felt herself melting at the sight of her ideal man— Tall, broad, dependable looking. And his eyes were trained on her with serious intent.

"**START!**"

The girl didn't even hear Present Mic. Before she realized it, Iida had already rushed over to her in the blink of an eye, grabbing her shoulders from behind and pushing her towards the edge of the arena.

"Sorry, but this should end quickly," the ever serious Iida spoke to her.

Shiro didn't care, feeling bliss from being touched by his strong hands. As she ended up outside of the arena, everyone was a bit perplexed and disappointed after the results of the previous match.

"**Uh…. Iida wins?"**

Despite being completely fine, Shiro had to be hauled off of the field on a stretcher as she wouldn't move, feeling her heart soaring.

* * *

Izuku opened his eyes slowly to the light of a room above him. As his vision became clearer, something suddenly popped in front of the light, and he soon saw Mei's piercing yellow eyes staring at him.

He gasped and sat up quickly, regretting it as his body felt numb and he accidentally headbutted Mei. Of course, Izuku rubbed his head and complained, while Mei didn't seem to take any damage from it.

"I see you're trying to copy Bakugo now!"

"What…? Oh.." Izuku had to think for a moment, remembering how Mei and Bakugo's fight went. Then it slowly dawned on him, his eyes widening with realization. "WAIT… I… I beat Todoroki!"

Mei nodded excitedly. "Yup! That happened!"

Looking around, Izuku realized he was back in the Nurse's station, with Mei sitting in a chair beside the bed he was lying on. He let out a loud yawn and rubbed his eyes, feeling intensely groggy.

"Oh yeah, Recovery Girl said you needed to eat a bunch or you'll be too sleepy for your next match," Mei explained, pulling a tray of food nearby that included a large cup noodles and some takoyaki brought from the vendors outside the stadium. "Say 'ahh'—"

"Mei—" Izuku was interrupted as the girl popped a takoyaki into his mouth. He sighed and ate it, feeling a smile appearing onto his face. "Ahh... I never thought food could taste so good."

"Well, you gotta eat quick. I dunno how long the next matches will go on for," Mei told him, standing up.

"D-Did I miss anything?"

"Shiro lost, but she was entranced by her opponent to do much," Mei explained. She clasped her hands together. "Maybe now she understands how I feel when I'm around my babies!"

Izuku chuckled. "Unlikely."

"Well in any case, I'm going to do some work. They sort of banned me from interfering with things so the rest of this festival is kind of boring to me," Mei said as she started to walk off.

Izuku watched her go, unable to say anything before she was gone. He sighed, being left alone with his own thoughts.

_I did it… Everything I've strived for, everyone's encouragement, it all paid off._

He shakily lifted his left hand, the pain from the fight gone but the memories of the intense cold still lingering. Izuku remembered Todoroki doing the same, gazing at the flames leaping out from his hand. The expression was very confusing, scarily so, showing a totally different life from Izuku's.

_That look… It was so… Sad._

Somehow Izuku didn't feel like celebrating his victory. He instead wolfed down all of the food and a bottle of water and swung his legs around to the side of the bed, ready to try and stand up.

Suddenly though, the door to the Nurse's station flew open, and Recovery Girl was there pointing her cane at him.

"Not so fast! You need to recover more!"

"B-But—"

"No buts! I won't heal your recklessness forever you know!"

"Ah… I-I'm so sorry for the trouble!"

* * *

While Izuku delt with trying to recover for upcoming matches, Shoto Todoroki sat alone outside of the stadium, collecting his thoughts away from all of the noise.

He had refused to go and see the Nurse, so the old woman had come to him a few minutes ago to check up on him. After seeing he was mostly fine, she let him be.

_I nearly lost the will to ignore my left side, _Todoroki thought. _Without it melting my ice, I would've lost, maybe even died…_

As he remembered his father's excitement at the flames erupting from his son, Todoroki clenched his fists tightly, feeling the surge of anger starting to rise within him again.

_Am I that limited? That weak? If I have to use my fire then…_

He took some deep breaths, trying to calm himself as he stood, holding his stomach which was still a bit pained from Izuku's knee.

_I'll only use it to strengthen my right half. That's my resolve._

Within the stadium, cheers could be heard as another match concluded. Todoroki slipped his hands into his pockets and slowly strolled back towards the entrance.

_I think I finally understand what I have to do…_

_Mom._

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Deku and Kacchan **


	32. Deku and Kacchan (SF Arc)

**Chapter Thirty - Deku and Kacchan**

The next two matches of the second round were over fairly quickly.

After winning the arm wrestling match against Tetsutetsu, Kirishima was up against Mina. From their teamwork during the Cavalry Battle, they both knew that her acid wouldn't do well against his hardening. Still, Mina tried her best to create as potent acid as she could, before finally being thrown out of contention after running around for a bit.

Next was Bakugo vs. Momo. The girl might have had a good chance at holding her own, if it wasn't for her lack of confidence, especially going up against someone as infamous and loud as Bakugo. While she was caught up in strategizing mid-match, the spiky-haired boy was able to get in close and take her out without taking a single hit the entire fight.

Thus the Sports Festival first year's stage had come down to their top four contenders.

"**The medical staff has asked that the next match be briefly postponed, so for now we'll head on to the other semifinal match!**"

Bakugo and Kirishima went out to face each other, the former seeming bored while the latter was excited.

"Now I can show you just how tough I really am, Bakugo," Kirishima spoke to him.

"You're just in my way," Bakugo had replied roughly.

"Man you're brutal… You won't break me easily though!"

Within the Nurse's station, Izuku gazed at the screen as he downed yet another large cup noodle. He sighed contently, feeling much better than he did when he previously woke up after his match.

"When this match is done, you can leave," Recovery Girl spoke with a bit of a sour tone.

"R-Right…!" Izuku chuckled nervously, knowing she was annoyed by the fact that his classmates continued to come and see him every few minutes to congratulate him and check up on him.

_Kacchan… If he wins this then I'm only one match away from facing him!_

He watched intensely, while squeezing hand-grips to help continue to regulate his blood circulation.

"**START!**"

Bakugo quickly rushed in with an explosive takeoff, getting up in Kirishima's face in an instant. He exploded a hand right in front of the redhead, but as the smoke cleared, Kirishima was standing firm with his arms crossed in front of himself, hardened.

"Heh, told ya," Kirishima spoke with a smirk.

"Tch… Let's see you hold up to this!" Bakugo suddenly began to barrage the red-haired boy with a flurry of explosions, thrusting his hands forward rapidly.

Kirishima let out grunts of effort as he was starting to be pushed back a bit from the constant attacks. However, he quickly noticed an opening as Bakugo slowed down for just a moment.

"I just have to survive long enough— To counter!"

Suddenly through the smoke, Kirishima delivered a hard right hook towards Bakugo's face, but he was able to sidestep the attack, a small cut being laid on his cheek from the sharp edge of Kirishima's hardened arm. Bakugo then brought a hand right towards Kirishima's stomach and sent an explosion right into him.

"**A counter-attack! But… He didn't budge?!**"

Kirishima was still standing in place, his hardened skin smoking a bit as he smirked widely and ran in towards Bakugo.

"I told you already explosion boy," Kirishima taunted as he went in, throwing several jabs at Bakugo, forcing him to retreat back and dodge the assaults."My hardening is tougher than your—"

Bakugo suddenly dodged a punch and swung his hand up from below, countering Kirishima again and blasting him from below. This time, the redhead was staggered, being forced to take a step back as he seemed shaken from the attack.

"If you keep attacking recklessly, then I'll just blow you away," Bakugo scowled at his opponent. "You're straining to keep your hardness up aren't you?"

He was right— Kirishima's hardening Quirk was wearing out from the attacks, and it was only a matter of time before he gave out completely.

Bakugo lurched forward, bringing his hand in to attack. Kirishima held his arms in front of himself defensively— But Bakugo came in at such an angle that his explosion would send Kirishima's arms upwards a bit, leaving just enough room to swing his other hand in for the final touch.

"And the finishing blow—!"

The blonde let off an explosion right up towards Kirishima's chin, sending the redhead blasting off and spinning through the air til he landed outside of the ring, his hardening wearing off as smoke rises up from his unconscious body.

"**Bakugo's done it! He's moving on to the Finals match!**"

Izuku gulped, initially surprised to see Bakugo on the defensive, but seeing him have an easy turnaround victory made the whole match look like a blowout. It was scary just how strong his childhood friend was.

_Kacchan… _

Ever since they were kids, Bakugo had teased and picked on Izuku, but he was the closest friend he ever had for the longest time. Perhaps it was because of his openness and strength that Izuku had always admired him, but now that they were more grown up and on their way to achieving their dreams and aspirations, he wasn't quite sure what to make of the boy.

_At my best, Todoroki could had beaten me easily if he was using both of his Quirks, _Izuku thought as he got out of the bed and began to do some stretches. _My experience with combat is limited, while the Hero course does that kind of training a lot!_

Izuku recalled the Entrance Exams, when he had managed to counterattack Paper Mache and send him away. Then when Izuku needed to pull through, he rushed in blindly and had to be saved by him when Kurogiri attacked him. It was at that point that Izuku knew he needed more combat experience to be a Hero, but studying it and practicing it were two very different beasts. During Miss Negative's assault, he was able to practice a bit by fighting off her clones.

Remembering what that it felt like to experience a close encounter with certain doom, Izuku knew he needed more focus and calm to fight a more serious opponent.

_That kind of thing is tough for me right now… But those in the Hero class are past any hesitation, _he thought as he headed out from the Nurse's station. _I, too, have the experience now, but it's actually expected of them._

Thanks to his in-depth studies of aerodynamics and practicing with his Flow, Izuku had become well coordinated in the air, able to twist his body and attack and defend pretty well. On the ground however, there was a bit of a struggle, especially when facing off against powerful Quirks.

_When Todoroki froze my arm, I thought that was it… _He held his left arm, remembering the feeling as it had been frozen solid. _In the heat of the moment I was able to land some strong blows… But can I replicate that…? Kacchan is a fucking chad._

Izuku's mind was wandering as he neared the locker room where he had all of his equipment. There, Midnight suddenly appeared, walking in front of him and interrupting his thoughts.

"Midoriya! There's been a change in the final round," the woman spoke.

"A-A change…?"

The sensual woman nodded and looked slightly reluctant as she continued on, stating, "Yes… Your opponent, Tenya Iida, has forfeited the match."

Izuku was shocked by this. Imagining the very kind and stern Iida doing such a thing seemed impossible.

"But… why?"

"It's unfortunate, but he had personal matters to attend to," Midnight explained. She sighed. "I have to admire the youth of that boy.. He's very proud and innocent, believing that if his heart wasn't in it, there was no reason to participte further."

_Whatever happened, it must've been bad, _Izuku thought. He thought for a moment, then asked: "Then what will happen now?"

Midnight smirked and suddenly whipped the air, making Izuku jump in surprise.

"We have decided that the finals shall begin now!"

"Now?!"

Izuku's jaw dropped and his hands began to tremble a bit. He wasn't ready at all to move right in to a final match, the threat of his old friend Bakugo hanging over him.

"Yes, we will be able to stall for maybe ten minutes at the maximum for you to prepare," Midnight told him. "Then you will both be expected to enter the stage."

Izuku didn't know what to say, watching as the woman walked past him.

"Make sure you bring your youthful and bright spirit," she exclaimed back at him before leaving completely.

Taking a seat, Izuku needed a moment to breathe and take it all in. So far, the Sports Festival had been more wild than he could have ever imagined. Somehow he had maintained victory up to this point, and now it was all coming down to this.

_I prepared for this… So why am I so nervous?_

He headed over to the locker he was using and opened it up. Inside was his Flow unit, which had been damaged from the previous battle. He had asked Mei to put it there and leave it as it was, having already made up his mind about what he was going to do.

_Just like with Shinso, I have to go head-on and fight against his Quirk, _Izuku thought as he took out a metal box and opened it.

Within were the devices Mei had created for him, which he called 'Firestoppers' for lack of a better name. There were four in total, and looked like small black spherical objects with a dial on top, the size of the device just big enough to be grasped comfortably in one hand. The dial could be used to set a delay before detonation, while pressing it in begins the detonation sequence.

_These will go off and emit a substance similar to that sludge villain to stop his Quirk for a bit, giving me the opportunity I need to fight Kacchan head on!_

Izuku slipped on the belt he had created to holster the four bombs and closed and locked the locker. The door to the room opened, and he turned to see his friends coming in.

"Midoriya! I just know you're gonna beat that guy," Shiro exclaimed, running up to him and jumping on him.

"A-Ahh, I hope so…" Izuku smiled, while also nervously pushing the short girl off of him.

"You did the unthinkable before, wouldn't be surprised," Ken stated as he approached, his hands in his pockets. He shrugged. "You tend to do crazy stuff like that so…"

Yuki seemed reluctant to say anything, his arms crossed. Izuku looked to him worriedly, and Ken thumbed back to the tall boy.

"Yuki's been worrying up a storm over this one," Ken stated.

"Yuki… Is there something I should know?" Izuku looked to him, and it took a moment for Yuki to look back at him.

"Are you really just going to stop his explosions, instead of using something like the Flow?"

Izuku nodded, so Yuki continued on:

"I don't think that is wise… Bakugo's battle prowess is amazing," Yuki explained, shaking his head solemnly. "I've been watching him a lot since the Cavalry battle… I can't see any of the first year students actually defeating him."

To his surprise, Izuku smiled, nodding as if to agree with him.

"That's right, Kacchan is strong," he admitted, looking down with a look of reminiscence. "Out of everybody— You guys, Mei, Todoroki, even All Might… He's always been my motivation."

"But why? He seems like such a big jerk," Shiro commented.

"He's loud and proud, that's for sure," Ken added, yawning. "I hate those kinds of people."

Shiro glared up at him. "Why'd you look at me when you said that?"

Izuku chuckled. Yuki approached him and extended his hand.

"You avenged me in the end," Yuki told him with a small smile. "So I'll put all of my faith in you, Midoriya."

"Thank you, Yuki… Thank you all!" He looked to all of them, smiling proudly as he felt extremely lucky to have such supportive friends.

"You won't forget about us right…?" Shiro seemed worried as she spoke. "If you make it into the Hero class?"

"Never!" Izuku patted her head like a child. Shiro didn't mind, beaming from the small affections "In fact, I already thought of my Hero name… Can I ask what you all think?"

The three of them all nodded, incredibly curious, so Izuku leaned in to whisper as if it were quite the secret.

"Well, I think my Hero name should be…"

* * *

**~Mid Chapter Interruption~**

"The Hero Killer, known as 'Stain', has claimed yet another prominent victim— This time it is the Turbo Hero: Ingenium. He was found with extreme injuries, and the damage to his Quirk seems to imply that—"

_Click. _Iida turned off the television. In his right hand was his cellphone, which he gripped tightly, having just confirmed what he had heard from his family.

_Brother… _

Iida stormed off and left the stadium, having already informed them that his mind was made up, and that he could no longer participate. No matter what happened, there was no way he could participate with his current state of mind.

Thus began the festering and conflicted path of Tenya Iida...

* * *

When Shoto Todoroki finally rejoined his classmates to watch the final match, everyone was a bit uneasy, unsure of what was going on in his head. Finally, Momo Yaoyorozu managed to say something.

"You did us proud, Todoroki," the girl spoke confidently. "We couldn't have asked for more—"

"I don't need confirmation or anything," the boy responded simply.

"R-Right…" Momo smiled nervously and turned back around, shrugging to the others.

Todoroki had taken a little bit of time to reflect on everything. While he didn't have all of the answers to what he needed yet, there was a sense of calm within himself that he hadn't felt for a long time.

_Midoriya, thank you— I won't soon forget about this, _Todoroki thought. _I hope my old man is seething til the end of time. _

Looking up at the clear sky above, a small smile appeared on his face as a breeze rolled over him, only for a moment…

* * *

The crowd was erupting as the final round was set to begin. As Izuku and Bakugo entered the arena, they both looked very renewed and ready to go.

"**The final match of the U.A Sports Festival first year stage is here! Despite a few oddities, the two competitors who have gone beyond everybody else have finally crossed paths!**"

Izuku had been a bit nervous facing off against Todoroki, but this stemmed from being unfamiliar with him. The icy-hot boy was a new roadblock in his path with an odd disdain for him that he didn't quite understand until they fought— But Bakugo was just as he had always been:

A friend. But one whom Izuku needed to fight to confirm his mixed feelings.

"**The tournaments at its peak! The blood is boiling in these two who hail from the same hometown and same Middle Schools!**"

This visibly ticked off Bakugo, who felt his whole idea of his future cracking with every passing moment. This was supposed to be _his _school, _his_ path towards becoming the #1 Hero ever. Yet here was this Quirkless boy whom he had tried to break for years now, standing and trying to act like his equal.

"Deku… You should've just jumped out a fuckin' moving car or something," Bakugo scowled. "Then I wouldn't have to waste time on you!"

This kind of threat was nothing new, but the context was everything now. There was a chance that Izuku could win, and they both knew it at this point, even though Bakugo would absolutely never let such an idea pass through his mind.

"Kacchan… I've never even thought about attacking you, despite everything you've ever done or said to me," Izuku stated calmly. "Not just because I felt like I couldn't, but… It felt like I would just confirm every bad thing people have said if I did."

Bakugo was surprised by these words, coming from the once weak and scrawny kid that always followed him around, giving him praise even when knocked down.

"I know you won't listen though, so I'll speak to you now the only way you know how," Izuku finished, raising a fist to his childhood friend. "I'm going to… punch you!"

The image that Bakugo had of the weak little kid that he used to push around slowly fell to shambles. A wicked smirk slowly rose on his lips, his expression dark as he gazed forward at the confident boy before him.

"You think trash like you can look at me eye to eye? Fine then," Bakugo spoke softly at first, his voice slowly rising. "You'll get it through that thick skull when you're face-down in the cement and bleeding out!"

"**Without any more delay, we're gonna kick this show into overdrive! Everybody with me now!"**

"**3…!"**

"**2…!**"

"**1…!**"

"**START!**"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: DISTANCE: Izuku vs. Bakugo **


	33. DISTANCE: Izuku vs Bakugo (SF Arc)

**Chapter Thirtyone - DISTANCE: Izuku vs Bakugo**

Bakugo made the first move, and Izuku had expected this, but the first exchanges were overwhelming all the same.

Running at who he deemed his arch-nemesis, Bakugo reached him quick, throwing up his right hand and sending an explosion forward. Izuku dodged to his left, then took a step forward to try and move in for his own attack. However, Bakugo was quick, moving his left hand under his right arm and blowing Izuku away.

Sent back halfway across the arena, Izuku tumbled to the ground, the wind knocked out of him for a moment. He got up to his knees and heard an explosion, seeing Bakugo flying through the air towards him. Izuku quickly rolled forward under him as Bakugo came in and slammed his hand down towards the ground, creating a powerful explosion that would've easily KO'd his opponent.

The shockwave of the explosion made Izuku stumble a bit, but he then stood and turned quickly to face Bakugo, readying his fists.

_I've been watching you for a long time, Kacchan…!_

Bakugo turned, glaring at the green-haired boy, the confident expression still on his face ticking him off.

"Why can't you just roll over and die, you mutt!"

He rushed in, and Izuku took one of the four Firestoppers he had at his waist, turning the dial then pressing it and throwing it forward. Bakugo reached out and blew it up with his right hand, the sludgy contents of the bomb being shot away from him.

"Screw your fuckin' toys— Huh?"

Bakugo was surprised as he saw Izuku coming in low, straight through the smoke of the explosion. He had used the bomb as a diversion, knowing Bakugo could just destroy it without remorse or thinking. The blonde was quick to react, bringing his left hand forward almost instantly, but Izuku was a bit faster as he moved in close.

_Kacchan almost always leads with his right hand!_

Izuku remembered the countless times he had been picked on by the boy, and one thing was for sure— He often used his right hand as his dominant hand when using his explosions. This was also in one of Izuku's journals where he held the intricate details of Heroes and Quirks, the material he had studied extensively at least once a week to refresh his mind.

Because of Bakugo's forward momentum at that moment, his balance was off. This made it a lot easier as Izuku grabbed his right arm, sliding his right foot under Bakugo's, then using all of his strength to throw him over his shoulder.

Everyone watched in shock as Izuku slammed Bakugo onto the cement, making the boy gasp as pain shot up through his body from his back hitting the ground hard.

_I did it! It's just like I thou—_

Izuku's thoughts were interrupted as Bakugo fired off an explosion from his right hand, which blasted Izuku away as he was still close to him. The main brunt of the force hit him in the stomach region, making it tough to recover as he tumbled away and eventually stopped himself before he reached the out of bounds line.

"**Even after a vicious counter-attack, Bakugo still manages to strike!**"

Bakugo started to get up before Izuku could. He was quite limber, so being slammed down onto his back wasn't as bad as it had looked from the spectators' point of view, but it had Bakugo slightly shaken for at least a moment as he got up to his feet, gazing across at Izuku.

_Get up… It's still early…_

Izuku slowly crawled up to his feet, his stomach muscles aching from the attack earlier as he fought against the urge to simply peel over on the floor and vomit. He took one of the Firestoppers out and prepared it.

Seeing the device, Bakugo readied himself and ran in towards Izuku once again.

Up in the stands, Class H watched with bated breath.

"I thought the ice guy was pretty scary," Ninsei commented, "But this guy's like… a villain!"

"Todoroki's Quirk is truly impeccable," Yuki chimed in, everyone looking to their class rep. "But on the flipside… Using your Quirk isn't everything, you need the tenacity and strength to back it up."

"Midoriya's proven that a lot," Kena added. "I feel like if he had a Quirk, he'd practically be unstoppable."

Yuki nodded. "Exactly. This guy Bakugo, he's like a chaotic, powerful force who also had a strong Quirk to boot. That's why he's so strong."

Mei, who was watching intensely from nearby thanks to her Zoom Quirk, let out a laugh that surprised everybody.

"Izuku's totally just like that too though! He goes with the flow and does what he needs to in the moment," Mei exclaimed. "Who needs a Quirk when you have wonderful babies backing you up! He can be as spontaneous as he wants!"

Nobody had any comments on that, everyone thinking the same thing: _At least we know where he gets it from..._

Down below, the two ran at each other quickly. Izuku was ready to use the Firestopper at a close proximity, as its effects wouldn't do much to him besides being a pain to get off later. Bakugo was wary, but he knew he couldn't waiver at all, bringing his right hand forward early, making an explosion that forced Izuku to slow down and tense up. It was a feint however, as Bakugo flew around to Izuku's side and blasted him with his left hand, sending Izuku flying and tumbling away along the ground.

"**A clean hit from Bakugo! What a powerful blast!**"

Izuku was really feeling the pain now, his legs a bit shaky as he caught himself and stood as quickly as he could, one hand holding his aching side.

_That wasn't long enough! _Izuku thought, looking at the trap he had set for his opponent. When Bakugon had used the first explosion as a feint, Izuku had tossed the Firestopper he prepped up into the air, planning on it going off above them after four seconds.

Bakugo's smirk returned and he took a step forward, ready to run in and finish it, so Izuku thought fast.

"Y-Your attacks were stronger when we were kids!"

At that exclamation, Bakugo got pissed, visibly trembling a bit.

"The fuck did you say?!"

"I'll get closer so you can hear it!" Izuku willed himself forward, raising a fist as he ran with a bit of a stumble in his step, looking above Bakugo. The boy caught on then, but it was too late.

The Firestopper that Izuku had prepared went off in the air above Bakugo, sending the sludge-like substance down onto him. He yelled out in danger and created a very weak explosion from his hands, sending a lot of it away, but much remained attached to him. He looked down at his hands, confused as to why he couldn't ignite his explosions much, only able to create tiny puffs.

_Now's my chance— I won't squander your creation, Mei!_

Izuku picked up his pace suddenly. While he was feeling intense aching pains, his stumble of a run had been for show. Now at a full sprint, he rushed in, and Bakugo barely had time to prepare.

"Of course you'd make some bullshit nerd stuff like this," Bakugo growled, readying himself.

However, Izuku knew of another point of weakness he could try to exploit: Bakugo's legs.

_Kacchan's legs are strong enough to brace him for the force of his explosions, but if they're injured that should make it a lot harder for him!_

Readying a fist, Izuku acted as though he was going to throw hands with Bakugo, the blonde excited as he was prepared to retaliate. Izuku changed it up at the last second however, sliding down and delivering a hard kick right to Bakugo's right shin. The boy didn't even budge at the attack, but the pained look on his face said it all.

"**Oh. My. God. That had to hurt!**"

Izuku jumped up, wanting to capitalize, but Bakugo's tenacity prevailed. He stepped forward with his left leg and delivered a power right hook to Izuku's face. For a moment, Izuku's vision became blurry from the strong hit, but he planted his feet firmly and continued on, not wanting to go down yet.

"_Deku….!_" Bakugo let out a roar as he brought his left fist in and punched Izuku right in the gut, making Izuku spit up a bit. "I don't need my Quirk to beat your ass!"

Bakugo stepped with his right leg, but couldn't help but wince as pain shot up through him, the bad bruise visible on his skin. This was Izuku's only chance, and as soon as he saw the look of pain flash in Bakugo's face, he knew he needed to take it.

"Ka...cchan…!" Izuku felt like his body was ready collapse, shaken from the blasts and the hits he had taken, but his resolve was strong enough to withstand it for now. "This is how I feel!"

Using what strength he had left in his wobbly legs, Izuku pressed forward and brought up his right fist. There was no time for Bakugo to dodge, as he took his punch directly to the face.

As Bakugo leaned back, his eyes going blank for a moment, the crowd was left in a shocked silence.

Izuku stumbled back, his legs shaking hard now, his breathing heavy as he was fading out, fatigue and pain catching up with him. His mind was in a frenzy, wondering if he should try and continue to attack, or if he should conserve himself for now. Then again, the way Bakugo was falling back, it almost seemed as though he had won…

But of course, he hadn't.

Bakugo stopped himself and leaned back up, blood oozing from his nose which was slightly ajar from being broken. His face was surprisingly calm and serious as he looked at Izuku.

"Is that the best shot you got?" Bakugo spit up some blood and wiped it from his nose, his right leg shaking slightly from pain. "You're pathetic."

The boy started to walk forwards, not showing any signs of pain in his face as he approached. Izuku tried to move, but he knew that he'd fall if he tried.

_I…._

In the blink of an eye, Bakugo punched Izuku hard in the face, sending him flying back through the air.

Despite the pain and everything else, Izuku felt a sense of calm resonating through himself.

_So this is… the distance… between us… still…_

As Izuku fell unconscious and his body tumbled along the ground, the crowd remained quiet as they watched Midnight approach and check on him. She then stood and lifted a hand in the air.

"Midoriya is unable to continue! Which means Bakugo is the winner!"

The crowd erupted into cheers and applause, as Bakugo appeared on all of the screens with the words, "Winner," as a fanfare song played around the stadium.

"We'll be back in a moment for the awards ceremony," Midnight exclaimed, as Izuku was readied to be taken off the field. She gave them a bit of flavor with a wink, stating in a more cute voice, "So don't go anywhere, okay?~"

* * *

**~Mid-Chapter Break?~**

_**A/N: Reminder to drop a Review if you're enjoying~ Thanks for all the support! :)**_

* * *

Shortly after the final match of the Sports Festival, everybody assembled back onto the field, the arena having been cleared out quickly by Cementoss.

"All of the first-year events for this year's U.A Sports Festival have been completed," Midnight stated. "And we'll now begin the awards ceremony!

Fireworks began to go off all overhead as the crowd got pumped up. In a puff of smoke, the finalists began to rise from the ground, standing atop pillars with their ranking number on it.

On third place stood Kirishima, who was happily taking in the screaming crowd, flexing and waving, while exclaming, "That's right! I'm the unbreakable wall," despite the other students thinking about how he had lost.

In second place was Izuku, having barely been recovered from the last fight, a brace around his stomach and bandages and patches on his face. He groggily smiled and looked around, bags under his eyes from losing stamina to another healing session from Recovery Girl.

Then on top of the middle pedestal stood Bakugo, his hands in his pockets as he looked down, not caring for all of the fanfare. His nose had a bandage over it, having been fixed up shortly before the ceremony, and his right leg had nothing to support it, as he had refused anything to make himself look weak.

"And now, of course _that_ man will be giving out the awards!"

Suddenly, All Might's laugh rang out across the stage, sending everyone into a hype frenzy. He appeared atop the stadium and jumped down, twirling and making a show of it before landing hard.

"Our very own hero, All Might!"

"_I have brought the medals_!"

There was a pause as Midnight spoke over All Might, giving an apologetic motion towards him.

"S-Sorry, I talked over you…"

As everyone admired that the #1 Hero was here, and how he was watching over the first years and how lucky they were, Midnight told All Might to present the medals starting with third place.

Kirishima grinned widely as All Might approached him and placed the medal around his neck.

"Kirishima! I should've known someone as gutsy as you would be standing here," All Might exclaimed, leaning in to give the boy a soft hug so he could give him some advice. "Never forget there's more than just your Quirk. Keep your wits about you!"

"Yes All Might!" Kirishima stood at attention and politely saluted.

All Might laughed heartily and moved over to the second place pedestal, where Izuku was standing, feeling the nervousness overtake him.

"Midoriya… I have to say, you're just full of surprises," the #1 Hero spoke, putting the silver medal around his neck. "You had something to say, and you said it loudly, huh?"

Izuku looked up at the man whom was his biggest inspiration for becoming a Hero. He felt himself trembling a bit, the emotions welling up inside of him.

"I-I just did what I needed to do," Izuku spoke. "S-So I can become the #1 Hero like you!"

All Might nodded, leaning in to hug him for a moment.

"You'll become a fine Hero," the man spoke softly.

This set Izuku off. He couldn't help it as the tears started to flow, bringing up his arm to try and hide them as All Might pat his shoulder and moved over to where Bakugo stood.

"Young Bakugo! Congratulations!" All Might nodded to him. "You stood by your comments about being the #1 huh?"

As All Might moved to put the award around his neck, Bakugo suddenly snatched it from his hands. Much of the crowd got upset with this, calling him out for being disrespectful.

"This kind of thing won't mean jack til I'm strong enough to beat you," Bakugo spoke sternly.

All Might wasn't dejected by his actions, instead laughing and pulling Bakugo into a hug.

"You're as hotheaded as ever! I almost hope you never grow out of your temper," All Might said through his laughs, as Bakugo tried to push him away. After a few moments, All Might let him go, Bakugo scowling and turning away as he grumbled under his breath.

The #1 Hero then turned to everybody else amongst the first years, raising a hand to them, his cape blowing a bit in the wind.

"They were the winner this time, but listen here— Anyone here could've ended up on these podiums," All Might spoke to the crowd of students. "This is what it's all about! Competing! Improving each other! And climbing even farther! The next generation of Heroes is definitely sprouting!"

All Might threw up a hand and pointed up towards the sky.

"So, I just have one more thing to say— Everyone say it with me!"

The crowd threw up their hands and all chanted at once along with All Might:

"Plus Ultra!"

"_Thank you for your hard work!"_

"..."

The crowd erupted into boos as All Might rubbed the back of his head awkwardly.

"It should've been Plus Ultra obviously," someone yelled from the crowd.

"W-Well, I thought everyone worked hard…"

Most of the students couldn't help but laugh in the merriment of the moment, knowing that one of the most important days of their high school life had finally come to a close.

* * *

Soon after the Sports Festival had ended, the students had gathered back in their classrooms for end of day consolidation with their homeroom teacher.

Mei had delayed Izuku in getting there, so that once they opened the door and he stepped inside, everyone was there to surprise him.

"Surprise!"

Izuku jumped as streamers and alarm noises went off, everyone from Class 1-H jumping out and crowding towards him.

"Ahh you guys— Owowow—"

"Hey now, everyone back away, he's still pretty banged up," Yuki spoke.

"Thanks Yu— W-Whose that?!" Izuku looked down and back and saw Shiro behind him, smirking wickedly.

"You've really worked those glutes today Midoriya, hehe—"

Ken banged Shiro over the head with a paper hand he manifested with his Quirk and dragged her away, while Izuku nervously stood against the wall so nobody could grab him again.

"Midoriya," came the familiar voice of their teacher, Power Loader. He watched the man approach, the other students parting for him. "You were pretty damn reckless out there."

Izuku gulped and bowed politely. "S-Sorry Power Loader sensei, I…" He wasn't sure what to say. Luckily, Power Loader chuckled and pat his shoulder, giving him a thumbs up with his other hand.

"I wouldn't expect you to compete any other way," the man spoke. Izuku smiled at this. Their teacher then turned to everyone. "You all did amazing! Usually this festival is a drag for us in the Support class, but you guys stuck it to them!"

"But I got frozen right at the start," came the sour voice of the sporty Wakata.

"None of that matters," Power Loader spoke. "You guys went beyond what anyone could expect and used your creativity in ways I might even struggle with. Give yourselves a pat on the back!"

Everyone exchanged handshakes and pats and hugs of excitement, before Power Loader looked at all the streamers and sparkles all over the place.

"...And clean up all this crap. When did I say that was okay?"

Everyone instantly became a bit more bummed out.

* * *

The students were given the next two days off to rest and recover. They were told that Heroes and organizations could approach them, but they would be evaluating any offers and such and tell them how much interest people had in them.

For the Support and Business classes, this mainly meant interest in their potential as either inventors or business partners, while the Hero class was more focused on getting to work with Hero agencies.

Izuku was told that he would need to come to the school on that second day, giving him a day to recover.

His mother showered him with food and affection the whole next day, after her heart took a lot of damage from watching her son take a beating. After getting well rested, he went to U.A which seemed a bit eerie without people there, and was surprised to find Aizawa, the teacher of 1-A, waiting for him there.

"G-Good morning, Aizawa sensei," Izuku said politely to the man.

Aizawa looked as tired and raggedy as usual. He gazed over at Izuku as if disinterested and began to walk away, motioning with a hand to follow.

"I could be sleeping right now, but you had to cause so much trouble," Aizawa said.

Izuku gulped, feeling like something bad was going to happen. _Did I do something bad…? Maybe I overdid it in the Sports Festival…_

Worried thoughts plagued Izuku as they headed into the school and went to a familiar location: Principal Nezu's office. Aizawa entered and Izuku followed, his nerves getting worse, and finally climaxing as he saw who was in the office.

"Welcome, Midoriya! Sorry to make you come here on a day off," Principal Nezu said happily from his desk, raising a paw. "Come come!"

Behind and on either side of Principal Nezu were several Heroes who worked with the school. On his left was Present Mic, who was then joined by Aizawa. On his right was Cementoss and Power Loader. Behind him stood Drama Boss and All Might, both surprising Izuku a lot as he saw them.

"U-Um…" Izuku gulped as he approached. Though he had gotten a bit used to all the Heroes being teachers at the school, it was intimidating being alone in a room with so many he looked up to. "W-What is this?"

"What do you think?" Principal Nezu chuckled and sat back in his chair. "You're here for evaluation."

"Evaluation?"

"Yep! It's time to hear what everyone here thinks—"

"About you joining the Hero class!"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The Hero Assessment!**


	34. The Hero Assessment!

**Chapter Thirtytwo - The Hero Assessment!**

After all the battles Izuku had to overcome over the past month of being at U.A, his hardest challenge thus far was sitting in a room as many of the pro Heroes he had admired for years stared him down.

"We'll begin with your Entrance Exam!" The Principal pressed a button on his desk, making a small hologram screen appear, which was partially see-through so everyone could see it from any angle.

Izuku watched from an outside angle as feats he had accomplished during the Entrance Exams played, even a view of Paper Mache getting kicked out of the wall during their scuffle. He saw how he had managed to fight on despite one of his Flow connectors being cut, rushing to the end and making it in at the last second.

"Drama Boss?"

The giant of a man wore a dark suit and red tie with a black fedora. His appearance was always very menacing on the surface, but as he tipped his hat and smiled widely, Izuku remembered how he truly was— A very charming and kind guy.

"Midoriya showed a good understanding of what to do in critical situations," Drama Boss stated. The Principal pressed a button to make Izuku's scores show up on-screen:

**Ingenuity: 90%**

**Inventions: 80%**

**Damage Taken: 20% **

**Danger Rating: 50%**

"There seemed to be only a moderate risk that he would endanger himself beyond his limitations," Drama Boss continued. "Power Loader, and… Paper Mache and I all agreed that the pros of guiding him outweighed the cons for sure."

The large man was obviously troubled at mentioning the late Paper Mache, and Izuku as well was a bit distraught over it.

"Yes yes, so it seemed Midoriya was put into U.A with high expectations! And you vouch for this?" The Principal looked to Power Loader

"Of course," Power Loader replied. "Midoriya doesn't always listen, but I can't say it hasn't gotten him anywhere." The man shrugged. "At this point, I don't know if anything can stop him from doing what he wants."

"That creates a problem though," Aizawa interjected. Izuku looked to the very tired and stern looking Hero. "How do we know that he can even listen at all?"

Now Cementoss chimed in by stating, "During the Sports Festival matches, I was able to hear and see things closely," he stated. "Midoriya definitely has the heart and mind of somebody who should be allowed into the Hero class."

Izuku's eyes lit up, hearing such words of praise. The very stoic Cementoss politely bowed to Izuku as a sign of respect before stepping back.

Present Mic let out a loud and odd noise, sort of like a 'YOWWWEE!', before pointing at Izuku with both of his hands.

"Watching you work in the festival was crazy! It was as if I was reading the best thriller novel ever," Present Mic exclaimed.

"Probably a thriller that ends with the main character dead," Aizawa muttered.

Present Mic wagged a finger at his old friend. "Now now Eraser, we're not talking some old English literature. This is blood-pumping new age stuff!"

"Whatever you say…"

Principal Nezu cleared his throat. "Anyways, I guess we should ask you before moving on… Do you really wish to join the Hero classes?"

Now all eyes shifted back to Izuku, who gulped and looked ahead at Nezu, not wanting to show any signs of his nervousness, despite his voice betraying him.

"Y-Yes, it's what I've always wanted!"

Principal Nezu nodded and pressed another button on his desk. The screen changed to show Todoroki walking. The boy looked over his shoulder towards someone off-screen.

"Midoriya..? He's strong," Todoroki stated. "It's obvious that the world's pretty unfair with giving out Quirks. They're both a blessing and a curse… With a mind free of a power dictating your life, I'm sure anyone could become truly great."

_Beep! _Nezu pushed the button, changing the screen to Bakugo, who looked angered.

"Why the hell you askin' me about that nerd? He can never catch up to me no matter what stupid nerd stuff he creates! Never! Don't even say that fuckin' name around me—"

_Beep! _Now it was Shinso, the boy smirking slightly.

"Midoriya is… The best not-Hero there is," Shinso said. "It's kinda a disservice that he wasn't put there to begin with. If I make it in before him, I don't know what U.A is doing."

_Beep! _It changed to Tetsutetsu, who was tearing up.

"That Midoriya… He was so manly! He went all out and punched and fought and didn't care what the hell got in his way... He makes me feel like I need to train my Quirk even harder to catch up!

_Beep! _Kirishima.

"The way he just punched the hell out of Todoroki and Bakugo! Like _boom! Boom! _They're my classmates but Midoriya really is something!"

_Beep! _More Hero students were asked about Izuku, all responding excitedly and positively. Eventually his own classmates popped up, all praising his abilities, and finally it ended with Mei. Izuku recognized that she was standing outside of her workshop, the girl looking scuffed up from work.

"Izuku? He's the coolest person I know! He's tackling his dreams head on and using his babies to the fullest!" Mei smiled brightly, looking towards the camera. Izuku leaned in closer as he watched. "If you don't guide him into Hero work, then he'll probably do great things somewhere else!" She gave the camera a peace sign before it cut out, and the screen turned off.

"Babies…?" The teachers were all stumped except for Power Loader, who snickered a bit.

Izuku felt his face reddening, everything he had just seen was too overwhelming to accept with any decency.

"Midoriya, you've lit a fire under the other students and inspired many to strive to become greater," Principal Nezu spoke. "I believe there's no further proof needed to accept you into the Hero course— However, there is one more test you must pass."

Izuku tightened his fists on his lap, hearing that he was so close to accomplishing his goal of entering the Hero program. He gazed seriously at the Principal, who paused for a moment, purposefully building it up.

"A Hero Internship!" Principal Nezu's sudden exclamation was followed by silence for a few moments, then he hopped up onto his desk and pointed down towards Izuku. "The Hero students are about to go with Pro Hero Agencies for a week of studies under their guidance. You'll be participating!"

Izuku's eyes widened. "A-An internship? So suddenly?"

"Yes! There's no time to waste! This is your final Hero Assessment," the Principal exclaimed.

Looking around, the other Heroes were all smiling at Izuku, except for Aizawa of course, who was looking away as if unimpressed.

"All Might! Care to explain," Nezu spoke.

All Might, whom had remained quiet up until now, stepped forward. He was in his skinny form, something Izuku still wasn't quite used to after years of admiring his tall and powerful idol. He seemed a bit dark and dreary as he stepped in front of the desk, facing Izuku—

But then, in a puff of smoke, he suddenly grew into his well-known muscular form, a big smile forming onto his face.

"Young Midoriya! A top Hero has expressed interest in taking you in for your internship," All Might explained. "I shall be accompanying you there in the next couple of days!"

"A top Hero?!" Izuku was shocked to hear this, his mind wandering as he wondered who it could be.

_Endeavor…? Best Jeanist…? Hawks…? Edgeshot…?_

All Might watched as Izuku got lost in his thoughts, chuckling a bit.

"Wow, you lose yourself really quickly there!" The #1 Hero tapped Izuku on the head, getting his attention again. "You'll need to be mentally prepared for this upcoming task, if you truly wish to become a Hero!"

Izuku stood and tried to calm his nerves, looking confident. He opened his mouth to speak, but then slowly stopped. All Might was surprised by this.

"What's wrong?"

Thinking back to what he understands now from clashing with so many different students from different walks of life, Izuku could feel something that was holding him back at this moment. The images of Shinso and Todoroki and Bakugo and everybody else he had come face to face with flashed in his mind.

"Everyone is working their hardest," Izuku spoke solemnly. "They've had to overcome things just as I have… Do I really deserve to get what I want? What about the others striving for the same thing?"

All Might shook his head. "You're overthinking it again. You still have one last test, you haven't made it yet!"

The large Hero placed a hand on Izuku's shoulder.

"Even joining the Hero Class is only the first step in the legacy you desire," All Might told him. "Beyond that it will only get tougher. Right, Eraserhead?"

They looked over to Aizawa, who looked like he was sleeping standing up. He opened an eye and looked over.

"...I won't go easy on you."

"See?" All Might laughed. "The odds are stacked against you even beyond this current goal of yours! You still want to try though?"

"Y-Yes!"

"Good answer! Keep it simple!"

* * *

Izuku felt like his mind was spinning as he left U.A and began the trek back home. The words and inages he had now left him feeling warm and fuzzy inside.

_The first real step..! I'm almost there!_

As Izuku walked off, he never saw as Yuki arrived at the school, meeting up with Power Loader before heading inside.

The two headed for the gymnasium, the same one where they had fought weeks prior against Miss Negative and her clones. Once there, two unfamiliar people stood, wearing trench coats and fedoras that seemed to match someone Yuki Had seen before.

"Hello, thank you for meeting with us on such short notice," the mysterious woman stated.

"I'm here to supervise. Just make it hasty will ya," Power Loader said. "We're really busy this time of year."

"Of course." The stern woman dipped her head respectfully. "I am Lady Vortex, and this is Spiralhide— We are Heroes from America."

Yuki nodded, eying both of them, feeling a hint of unease within their demeanor. The woman had a very serious face and neat black hair parted back into a ponytail. The man was short and wide, with lots of hair all over his body, nearly looking cave manish.

"We got permission from your Principal to evaluate any students we were interested in Hero internships," Spiralhide explained. "If, of course, that is something you agree to."

Yuki's eyes widened a bit. Power Loader set a hand on the boy's shoulder.

"It hasn't gone unnoticed. You've been eying the Hero life too right," Power Loader said. "I'm sure Midoriya's ignited those thoughts even more."

"I…" Yuki thought for a moment about how it felt defeating Todoroki in the Cavalry Battle thanks to the efforts of him and his friends, but how he had lost completely in a one on one match against him. "I don't know if I can."

"What's that all about? I think Midoriya's rubbing off on ya," Power Loader said with a chuckle.

Yuki sighed and nodded. "You're right…"

_Midoriya has become a sort of rival to me at this point, even if I'd never say it out loud. If I want to keep up, I need to grasp any opportunity I can..._

He looked up at the two American Heroes, deciding on what he was going to do.

"What kind of evaluation?"

Lady Vortex smirked. "A combat test of course, that's how we'd do it in America."

Yuki nodded, figuring this was the case. He cracked his neck and closed his eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath before opening them, his demeanor shifting a bit.

"Then I'll show you my convictions, right here, right now!"

* * *

When the students returned to classes after their reprieve from the Sports Festival, Power Loader began to announce what had happened in those two days off.

"The Sports Festival is broadcast across the country, as you all should know by now, thus it was a perfect opportunity to show off to potential partners," their teacher explained.

As Power Loader motioned to the chalkboard behind him, statistics began to pop up digitally on it

"We've checked out the numbers and feedback, and the generated interest in the U.A Support classes is bigger than ever! This means big things for us!"

Class H was excited by the prospect of being the best year yet. The data indicated that there was over a 100% increase from last year in contacts from businesses and Hero agencies that were interested in the Support classes.

"We all know we've got our first big competition coming soon," Power Loader continued. "The event in Hosu will be your first taste of what competing against other schools is like— Urushima?"

The red-headed girl who had raised her hand stood up and stammered, "W-What kind of things should we expect to be doing there?

"It's a big, marvelous competition that includes anything from robotics and combat enhancements, to security systems and metalworks! There will be plenty for everyone to shine," Power Loader exclaimed.

Everybody was excited, but Izuku couldn't help but feel nervous about what was coming up for him.

"Midoriya!"

Izuku snapped to attention, looking up towards Power Loader.

"You might be aiming for Hero work, but don't forget that learning and growing your knowledge is going to be your biggest strength," Power Loader told him.

"I-I understand!"

"Good! Because punching and kicking things only gets you so far. Maybe next year you'll take that #1 spot in the festival!"

Izuku let out a sigh as Power Loader continued to explain about the next few weeks of Support course work.

_I still don't know who I'm interning with, _Izuku thought. _All Might's kept it a secret for some reason…_

He looked up and opened his notebook, beginning to take notes on what was happening in class.

_But Power Loader sensei is right, I can't fall behind on my Support studies. After all, this is my advantage since I don't have a Quirk!_

The school day ended a bit early as students were set off to begin their week of personalized studies. Power Loader had given everybody except Izuku and Yuki either a business or Hero agency that would help harness whatever Support work they believed they were best at.

Yuki left the group early, not telling them what he was up to, while Ken and Shiro headed off for the train station ahead of Mei, who stayed behind to talk to Izuku.

"I've got a surprise for you!" The pink-haired girl grinned widely. "Close your eyes!"

Izuku reluctantly did so. "Y-You aren't going to put some dangerous baby on me, are you..?"

"Pfft I would _never_!" Mei chuckled and opened up a briefcase she had brought. She moved behind Izuku and held something up in front of him, making him a bit embarrassed as he felt squishy things pressing against his back. "Now open your eyes!"

Izuku looked down, his eyes widening. "This… is…"

It was a costume, one that was instantly familiar to Izuku as he had created the design back before he had been accepted into U.A, when he and Mei were rigorously preparing.

"Well, what do you think?" Mei held it out like one would do to check the looks of a piece of clothing on themselves. "It's totally not approved yet since you aren't in the Hero course yet _buuuut_ it's basically what you wanted!"

The costume used the tracksuit that his Mother had gifted him for the Entrance Exams as a base, with durable and flexible green cloth that was then covered in some areas in a durable metal that Izuku recognized as the same lightweight but strong material his classmates had made the shin and arm guards out of for when he had fought Todoroki. The metal protected the outer forearms and shins and there was a piece on the back as well.

"There's also these other parts, so you can decide how much you really need!"

Mei excitedly moved from behind Izuku and showed him the further contents of the briefcase. Inside were more metal pieces, one that connected at the neck with a more flexible metal and a piece that would cover his mouth. There were also gloves and boots that had mysterious exhaust ports along each finger and the back of the boots.

"M-Mei, these are…" Izuku pointed at the ports and the girl chuckled deviously.

"That's right! Tadah!" Mei presented the final piece— A cylindrical metal device that Izuku instantly recognized.

"The Flow?" He gently took it and examined it. It was a bit lighter than his original creation, and sleeker looking, the metal bright and nearly silver in appearance. "But this is brand new…"

"Yup! It easily connects into the costume, and has twice the capacity and power," Mei explained. "You said not to touch the old one so I just tried my own touch! There's lots of stuff in the instructions I left for you to check out!"

Izuku blushed a bit, clutching the device. "All of this… for me?"

"Mhm! I decided that this would be your gift for making it into the Hero course, but," Mei shrugged, talking excitedly. "How could I wait any longer to show you this stuff! Like what if the internship is super dangerous? Isn't this stuff cool though?"

The girl leaned in eagerly, wanting to hear from Izuku what he thought of it all. However, to her surprise, Izuku suddenly hugged her.

"Thank you, Mei!"

Everything was too overwhelming for the boy who only a year ago had little hope that he could acquire his dream. After one chance encounter with a wild inventor girl, Izuku had suddenly found himself being praised by Heroes and U.A students alike, something he would have only dreamed about. The tears started to flow and his arms around the girl only tightened as he thought about it more and more.

"Thank you…" Izuku sniffled, trying to wipe his tears away, the embarrassment of letting out his emotions not quite strong enough to stop him.

Mei, who was usually very forward, smiled and patted the boy's back comfortingly, completely unsure for the first time in her life as to what she was supposed to do now. She didn't even realize that her own face was burning a bit pink at that moment.

"D-Don't worry about it, it's just a prototype anyways so it was nothing," Mei said. "I expect you to make lots of cool adjustments and new babies even as a Hero!"

Izuku moved back from the embrace, looking away while he wiped his tears. He then looked at Mei and smiled.

"I promise!"

* * *

After seeing Mei off, Izuku had a new spring in his step as he found All Might and got into the car they were taking to Tokyo.

Sitting in the back seat with the thin skeleton-like All Might was nerve-racking, as such a casual thing was weird with him being the #1 Hero and all. The driver was apparently a robot, which answered Izuku's question was to if the driver would be someone who knows All Might's secret or not.

"U-Um, can I ask where I'm interning at yet?"

"Nope!" All Might crossed his arms. "It's not just a surprise, and, well... there's another reason I won't say."

Izuku looked at the man skeptically then gazed out the window as they drove over into the center of Tokyo, which was bustling with activity like always. The whole time, Izuku tried to think of all the Hero agencies he knew about in Tokyo, but the sheer number of them was overwhelming.

Eventually the car came to a stop, breaking Izuku from his trance.

"Aha! We're here," All Might said. With a smirk, he motioned to Izuku.

Izuku opened the door and got out, looking up at their destination. His face went from confused to shocked in almost an instant.

"T-The Genius Office?!"

This was the location of the #4 Hero Best Jeanist's office, someone who Izuku knew very well from his incredible feats and also his stylish demeanor.

_Someone this incredible asked for me…?_

"Eh…?" A familiar voice emerged from nearby. Izuku looked and gasped.

"K-Kacchan?!"

Bakugo scowled, his hand in his pocket. He was wearing his Hero costume, aside from his headpiece and the large hand-grenade-styled arm attachments. His expression went from calm to ticked off instantly at seeing Izuku there.

_Shit, _thought All Might as he was still inside the car. _I thought we'd get here first._

"Ah ha ha! I am—" All Might turned into his buff form as he started to get out of the car, but got stuck halfway as he was too big for the car. "_Stuck in a car door!_"

Bakugo and Izuku both looked at All Might in shock, for different reasons, and exclaimed:

"_All Might?!_"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: Best Jeanist; Best Duo**


	35. Best Jeanist--Best Duo

**Chapter Thirtythree - Best Jeanist; Best Duo**

"To put it quite frankly, I believe you both are lost causes."

Izuku gasped at how blunt the #4 Hero Best Jeanist was. He and Bakugo were standing before him inside the agency, with other Heroes who worked at the agency standing behind them, all of whom were neatly groomed and stylish.

Best Jeanist looked the two of them over and sighed, running a hand along the high collar of his denim dress shirt, which matched the rest of his attire that was, of course, all about a denim and blue jeans motif.

"You just like to cause problems, huh All Might."

All Might, who had tried to sneak off knowing he wouldn't be free from the harsh words of Best Jeanist, froze and turned, smiling brightly.

"I-I have no idea what you mean, haha!"

Best Jeanist wagged a finger, and the briefcase that held the costume Mei had created flew out of Izuku's hands, right into the Hero's hand.

"I've been brought two troublemakers, and you're expecting what?" Best Jeanist eyed the #1 Hero narrowly. "For me to fix them?"

Bakugo scoffed. "The hell you mean? You were interested in me so I picked you because you're a high ranking Hero!"

"A big mistake on your part," Best Jeanist spoke. He set the briefcase behind his desk, and Izuku watched, conflicted as he didn't want to do anything to ruin this opportunity. "It's true I decided to express interest in you both, but now I can see just how much work it'll take."

_H-He's scary… But that's to be expected of someone who strives for perfection!_ Izuku thought, recalling what he used to see of Best Jeanist on TV and in documentaries.

While Izuku could still admire the Hero before them for who he was and what he had accomplished, Bakugo was getting ticked off, which, as always, negated any further thoughts on the matter.

"You're dead fuckin' wrong if you think—" As Bakugo took a step forward, Best Jeanist squeezed a hand, and suddenly the fibers that were all around the room in tapestry and materials flew in, binding Bakugo tightly, making him gasp out.

"Let me get this straight— Heros and Villains are cut from the same cloth," Best Jeanist began. He pointed to the boys before him. "You're both here to watch me, because I'll show you what makes a Hero."

As the three stood in silence for a moment, the air full of tension, there was suddenly a _creaaaaaak_ and everyone turned to look towards the back of the room.

"Oh, I uh…" All Might had tried to open the door slowly. Seeing he had been caught, the large Hero suddenly booked it, yelling over his shoulder, "_Alright, good luck!_"

"If you've been watching him as your example, then maybe that explains a few things," Best Jeanist commented.

"You talk big for a stupid pretty boy, but what the hell do you think _you_ can teach us better than All Might," Bakugo spat.

"Well, all of my recent recruits have been perfect little angels," the man replied, running a comb through his neat hair. "Seeing how you both fought during the festival, I know I have a lot more to teach you than anyone else."

Izuku politely bowed. "P-Please take us under your wing then!"

"At least someone has a little decency," Best Jeanist commented.

This made Bakugo growl and start to try and fight against the threads holding him in place.

"Don't even acknowledge that stupid Quirkless bas—"

Making a bundle of threads form over Bakugo's mouth, Best Jeanist walked back to his desk, gazing out the window as the blonde boy thrashed around in silent anger.

"I don't know what you're doing with a Hero costume that hasn't been approved," Best Jeanist stated, directed at Izuku. "But if you want it back, then you'll have to show me you can learn."

Izuku gulped, gazing at the briefcase the Hero had confiscated nearly immediately. _I can't believe I lost it already! I'm sorry Mei!_

"Y-Yes sir!"

* * *

The first day of Best Jeanist's internship started with what the Hero referred to as an, "Image Tidy-Up."

They had no idea what he meant exactly, until he sat Bakugo down and quickly snipped and styled his hair in a new way, which made Izuku have to hold a hand over his mouth to stop himself from full on laughing.

"This is much more presentable," Best Jeanist stated.

Bakugo's eyebrow was twitching as he stared at his reflection in the mirror. His usually wild, spiky hair had been tamed into a clean and smooth cut swayed to one side.

"What… the… hell… is this…?"

"Image is a big part of Hero work—"

"_But what the hell was wrong with my image?!_" Bakugo jumped up onto the chair angrily, making small explosions pop up from his hands.

Best Jeanist ignored him and turned away, snapping and making threads come out from his outfit, taking Bakugo's feet out from under him and making him hit the floor hard. He looked at Izuku, a hand to his face in contemplation.

"The innocent look you have works well for someone whose Quirkless," Best Jeanist stated. "But what do you plan to do to stand out?"

_Stand out? I guess I'd never thought about it…_

As if reading his mind, Best Jeanist continued, "You've probably never even considered it. Without a Quirk of your own, you need to rely more heavily on the impression you leave on others."

Bakugo was getting up to his feet, seething with anger, when Best Jeanist wagged a finger without looking, making a thread from Bakugo's costume attach to his hand as he pulled him forward. He then put a hand on Bakugo's shoulder, his other hand waving slowly as if presenting him to Izuku.

"On the flip side, one can just me remembered for having a powerful Quirk, but then who are you? Just a power?"

Bakugo scowled and smacked Best Jeanist's hand away. "Stop manhandling me!"

In the next few moments, Bakugo found himself hanging upside down from the ceiling, constricted by threads and thrashing around violently as he silently cursed the Hero.

"Midoriya, I'll put it simply— I don't believe you can achieve much as you are now," Best Jeanist stated.

"But… I—"

"But in the end, since they're leaving it up to me," Best Jeanist interrupted him. "You'll have to show me you can make yourself known, _without_ just being reckless."

_Haven't I already done that? _Izuku wondered just what the Hero was getting at. His feats during the assault on U.A were never reported to the media, but he had made a big splash at the Sports Festival. What exactly was he missing?

_An image all my own…?_

Best Jeanist walked past Izuku and snapped his fingers, the threads releasing Bakugo who fell to the ground.

"We're going on patrol," Best Jeanist stated. "Hurry up now."

* * *

"Why the hell didn't this nerd have to change his hair?!"

Bakugo had asked several similar questions angrily as they walked the streets, and Best Jeanist largely ignored them. As they went, several people noticed Best Jeanist and happily cheered him on, which he replied with polite waves.

"A Hero's patrol is an important duty. It reminds the public that we are here," Best Jeanist explained. "We Heroes are the fabric that ties society together in times of turmoil."

Izuku felt a bit awkward as he followed, lagging a bit behind the two partially because Bakugo would yell at him if he got close, the other part that he was wearing his school uniform while the others were in their Hero costumes, which felt a little awkward.

_Like he said, I've got to earn that costume! I'll put everything aside that I think I know and watch._

A group of kids were excited to see Best Jeanist passing by. They then noticed Bakugo and one of them pointed.

"Hey! It's… that guy from TV!"

Bakugo stopped, letting out a sigh, not very into the fact that people were recognizing him from the Sports Festival now after he had won.

"Oh yeah! The super angry dude! He's totally like a villain," one of the kids said with a snicker. "He's all like— '_Grrrrr, kaboom!'_"

This made Bakugo snap, his hair suddenly _poofing_ back to its normal messy and spiky manner, as he turned to them angrily.

"What the hell did you say?! Why don't you say that a lil closer huh?"

The little kids gasped and began to tear up. Izuku moved towards them, glaring at Bakugo.

"Hey! They're just kids," Izuku said. He then smiled at them. "Don't mind his temper. He's really strong otherwise! He'll be a Hero protecting you all before you know it."

The kid who had spoken first looked from Izuku to Bakugo then back, nodding and wiping tears away.

"I-I see… Thank you, stranger."

Izuku froze as the kids happily waved at Best Jeanist and Bakugo before running away.

_S-Stranger…?_

It was true that Izuku was wearing his U.A school uniform and not a distinct Hero costume, but he figured that they might be able to recognize him from the festival as well.

"Do you understand now?" Izuku looked up as Best Jeanist approached him. The Hero then looked to Bakugo. "Despite your change in style, he was recognized and you were not. Why is that?"

"I… I don't know," Izuku admitted, looking away, ashamed.

"Do you know?" Best Jeanist pointed to Bakugo.

"Tch, I don't fuckin' care," Bakugo answered, looking away. "Is it because he's a Quirkless dweeb?"

Best Jeanist sighed. "At this moment in time, Midoriya is nobody. Just another identity amongst the millions of others in Japan. And this is exactly why."

Izuku looked up at the Hero as Best Jeanist pointed at him.

"Bakugo is proud to a fault, but this leaves a unique impression. You wish to be like All Might, however," Best Jeanist explained. "It is obvious in the way you act and fight with reluctant yet reckless abandon."

Izuku looked down shamefully, tightening his fists. "O-Of course I want to be like All Might! That's been my dream since—"

"And how many other kids out there aspire to do the same," Best Jeanist interrupted, turning away and combing through his hair. "If you wish to be a Hero, then continue to follow me. Otherwise if you only wish to become All Might Junior, then you're free to go."

As the Hero walked off, Bakugo shoved his hands into his pockets and followed, still peeved from everything that was happening.

Izuku hesitated. His whole life he had worshipped and praised the #1 Hero, aspiring to become like him one day. Even after meeting his idol and learning his secret, Izuku was never disillusioned, still seeing him as the greatest Hero ever—

_No, that's not true..!_

His eyes widened with realization. There were _several_ people whom he could now look up to and admire, all of whom came from different walks of life and held different strengths and aspirations, yet they were all so unique:

All Might, the symbol of peace who held the country on his back and fought on despite a growing weakness.

Paper Mache, a hero who was willing to lead and defend others even on foreign soil, til the moment he took his last breath defending Izuku.

Todoroki, who stood tall and fought on despite a sad loneliness that Izuku could feel lingering below the surface. His powers that held so much emotion behind them...

Bakugo, the loud and proud boy who strived for greatness and proved time and time again that he was capable of obtaining his goals, despite his very explosive and easily hated personality.

_Who am I then? _Izuku wondered to himself. He recalled the Entrance Exams where he fought alone and pulled through despite mounting odds. Then the way he had stood against a deadly threat in the school gymnasium, knowing it very well could have led to his end… And then the battles of the Sports Festival where he said loud and proud that he was going to become a Hero...

There was no direct correlation between those he admired. They didn't all fit one single thread.

_I've nearly conquered doubt and my Quirklessness, but I'm missing an identity..? What do I want to become?_

"_Izuku…. Izuku I'm so sorry!_"

Izuku took a step forward. His contemplative face softened a bit as he smiled.

_Right… That._

Izuku remembered how sad his mother was when he returned from the Sports Festival, the way she showered him with love and affection and spouted all of her worried thoughts to him. She was very emotional like that, but it saddened him to think that she was worried for his safety that whole time. It reminded him of when he was first told he was Quirkless, and how she wept with him and apologized as though it was her fault. Izuku realized that he was being reckless while striving to succeed, and had never even considered what the repercussions of that might be.

_My recklessness has been causing grief for others, and I never even stopped to consider it…_

Taking a deep breath, Izuku took in the gentle breeze that was rolling over him.

_I'm going to become…_

Izuku began to jog after the other two who had gotten a bit ahead of him.

_Someone you won't have to worry about, Mom..!_

* * *

_**Meanwhile….**_

While Heroes were working and being nurtured into becoming greater, the plans of villains broiled in the shadows as the infamous Hero Killer, Stain, was swept away to the League of Villains hideout, where he met face-to-face with Tomura Shigaraki and Kurogiri.

"So, you want to add me to your numbers? No matter what you want to accomplish, it is necessary to have conviction and desire— Those without it will be weeded out, this is how the world works."

Shortly after Stain's arrival, Shigaraki was lying back on the floor, pinned down as the Hero Killer held a knife through his shoulder.

"That is why it's ended up this way," Stain finished.

"Ah… that's too hard… Kurogiri, send this guy back," Shigaraki spoke with a bit of a raspy voice.

The misty villain was frozen behind the bar of the hideout, his hands on the wood as he trembled slightly from trying to move.

"I… can't move," Kurogiri stated. "It must be the Hero Killer's quirk."

Stain narrowed his eyes as he looked down at Shigaraki. "The world is overrun with fake Heroes and Villains who wave their powers around idly. They should all be purged."

"Hey hey… You sure talk a lot," Shigaraki spoke through gritted teeth. He suddenly reached up with his right hand, grasping the knife's blade, which surprised Stain. "Convictions? I don't have anything as grand as that."

The knife began to turn a rusted color, before Shigaraki crushed it to dust.

"If I had something like that… Yes… It would be that one, All Might," Shigaraki said, a large grin could be seen behind the hand that was attached to his face. "I want to crush this society that can worship trash like that!"

Stain was suddenly taken aback by this. As Shigaraki reached up towards him, Stain jumped back, taking out another knife from the many he had all over his person and getting into a battle-ready pose.

"My old wounds almost healed up," Shigaraki stated as he stood and held his arm out, bleeding a lot from being stabbed in the shoulder. He began to scratch furiously at his neck with his left hand. "Will you take responsibility for this?!"

Stain lowered his guard a bit. "I see, so that's who you are."

"Eh..?"

"Our goals oppose each other. Yet at the same time we agree upon one thing," Stain stated.

"The present society must be destroyed."

* * *

The end of the first day came before the two students knew it. Their patrol with Best Jeanist didn't yield much excitement, but the Hero insisted that was a good thing, giving them more insight into why they did it in the first place.

Izuku and Bakugo both had many public outbursts and exchanges of words, though mostly coming from Bakugo, which Best Jeanist tried to end, but there seemed to be no easy way for them to get along.

"Normally I would insist on plenty of rest and recuperation," Best Jeanist stated as the sky turned dark to welcome nighttime. He was sitting at his desk, the two interns standing before him. "But you both require a different approach."

Best Jeanist stood from his desk and walked across the main room of the agency, taking a chair and sitting in it, facing them. He then lifted a hand and moved it, suddenly sending threads across the room from both sides, emerging from various different places til they left very little movement room between where he was and where Izuku and Bakugo were standing.

"You can either stay in that small area and become closer friends, or you can cross and prove you've already learned something," Best Jeanist stated. He moved a hand up along his collar, fibers rising and covering his whole head. "Either way, I'm going to be sleeping soundly. Feel free to try as you wish."

"Finally, somethin' I can just fuckin destroy," Bakugo said with a smirk.

"Kacchan wai—"

Bakugo threw his right hand forward, making an explosion that snapped many of the threads. He smiled wickedly and triumphantly, but the severed threads suddenly reformed and flew back at him, hitting him and close-lining him, making him flip and fall onto the floor hard.

"Don't destroy any of the decor either, or else you'll suffer consequences," Best Jeanist spoke again, muffled from within his thread cocoon over his head.

"D-Dammit…" Bakugo slowly got up, scowling. "The hell's the point of this?!"

"You both will leave this internship as a close duo," Best Jeanist explained. "Whether that closeness forms now or later, it is up to you to decide."

"Ehh? Like hell that'll happen!"

Bakugo began to throw his hands forward rapidly, making tons of explosions, continuing it so the strands of thread didn't have time to reform before being blasted again. Izuku held his ears, wincing a bit as the constant loud explosions indoors were deafening.

Eventually, a thread snapped in quickly, hitting Bakugo hard across the face and sending him flying back against the wall, leaving a bruise on his face.

"Kacchan!" Izuku moved closer to him, but he scowled and pushed him away.

"Go sit in the fuckin' corner or something," Bakugo growled at him. "I can get through—"

Izuku sighed. "I-I think I understand… the point of this is that we can't win."

"What? Like we're goddamn kids in timeout or something?!"

Bakugo approached the threads again. Izuku stood and reached out to him.

"W-Wait! It might hurt you even worse this time," Izuku said.

"Don't talk down to me you bastard, I swear…" Bakugo flexed his hands, readying himself. "Everyone is insane around here!"

Knowing he needed to do something before Bakugo just got hurt again, Izuku stepped forward and simply touched one of the threads as a test. There then was a _SNAP _as a thread lashed out and hit him in the face much like what happened to Bakugo, sending him tumbling back.

"Owowowow—" Izuku held his face, feeling a stinging pain from the hit.

Bakugo looked at Izuku and lowered his hands, sitting on the floor and letting out a huff of frustration.

"That was pretty satisfying," Bakugo muttered, feeling a bit of content at seeing Izuku get hurt. "I won't play this stupid game anymore. I'm going to sleep. I swear I picked the wrong place…"

Bakugo laid back and closed his eyes as his angry mutters began to subside. Izuku sat up and looked at him.

_Just going to sleep kind of defeats the point…_

Izuku knew it wasn't just Bakugo's fault though. They were very different in the ways they acted and what they strived towards. He had put all of his feelings about his old friend into that punch he'd thrown at the end of the Sports Festival, but even then, he felt like Bakugo was far away from him.

"Hey.. Kacchan—"

"Don't say shit, I swear I'll kill you," Bakugo interrupted. "Just stay over there!"

Izuku closed his mouth and turned away bitterly.

_R-Right… It's only the first day, anyways…_

As the boys settled in for an awkward night, they never noticed that Best Jeanist had slipped away, leaving his costume in his place while he went to get his beauty rest.

Not far off, in the midst of Hosu City, a troubled Iida Tenya was taking part in his internship. But his mind wasn't focusing on his studies or his surroundings, he only thought about one thing-

Revenge.

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The Red Thread of Fate (Stain Arc)**


	36. The Red Thread of Fate (Stain Arc)

**Chapter Thirtyfour - The Red Thread of Fate**

During their third day of Hero internships, Hosu City was bustling with activity, despite the recent terrors being inflicted by the Hero Killer. This sense of calm was brought about by the Heroes who patrolled the city and kept everyone reminded that they were safe.

However, one boy in particular was on-edge, looking for his target, knowing he was due to show up soon enough.

Iida had taken an internship with Normal Hero: Manual, a Hero whose costume had slight fish-like qualities, and his Quirk allowed him to manipulate water. He had better offers but refused them all, for reasons unknown to his teachers.

"Despite the recent troubles, you can see how everybody is at ease," Manual stated. "This is what makes Hero patrols so important, especially in the darkest of times.

"Right," Iida responded simply. He was slightly behind the Hero, his eyes peeled not for signs of danger, but for the one man he was searching for.

Thanks to Iida's costume involving a full helmet, much like his brother's costume, nobody could see the dark intent on the boy's face. His resolve to bring down the Hero Killer had overtaken him, and the fact that Stain hadn't struck in several days had him on edge.

_Come out Hero Killer… I'll destroy you with these hands!_

While lost in his dark thoughts, he heard a noise and then a familiar voice call out to him.

"Iida?"

He stopped and turned around, surprised by who was approaching him.

"Midoriya…? Bakugo?" Iida looked at the green-haired boy, clad in an unfamiliar costume, with Bakugo behind him looking like he didn't want to be there, his hair all neat and combed to one side. "Are you both here on Internships as well?"

"Yep! We've been studying under Best Jeanist," Izuku stated excitedly.

As if on cue, Best Jeanist came up from behind them, many people around cheering him on. Manual smiled widely and approached them.

"Oh, Best Jeanist! It's rare to see you out this way," Manual spoke.

"Sorry for intruding, but I figured these two deserved a walk around," Best Jeanist spoke.

"The hell are we? Dogs?!" Bakugo growled angrily.

Manual laughed. "Don't apologize, there's no territory squabbling amongst Heroes!"

As the two Pro Heroes talked, Iida clutched his hands tightly, his expression very conflicted inside of his helmet.

_Why are you all here? This is my duty…_

"Iida, are you alright?" Izuku looked at the boy worriedly.

"Y-Yes, probably just some nerves," Iida responded, trying to act casual. "I'm surprised you recognized me, you haven't seen my costume before have you?"

Izuku smiled. "Well part of our studies in the Support course was costume design," he explained. "So we've seen all of your costumes— But also, yours looks a lot like Ingenium!"

The boy instantly regretted what he said, waving his hands nervously.

"O-Oh I'm sorry… How is your brother doing? I-I was confused about why you left the Festival so I asked some people," Izuku stated, rubbing the back of his head. "And it's been all over TV…"

"He's… not doing well," Iida admitted. "I'm hoping this internship can help get it off my mind."

Izuku could sense the pain in the boy's voice, but couldn't yet piece together what was going on in his head. Nearby, Bakugo was picking up on the boy's angst, but he played it off as though he weren't interested.

"But Midoriya, I must say, your costume is very neat," Iida stated, trying to change the subject.

"Oh, thanks! I created the design but Mei created it for me… She always made me test her bab— her creations, so I guess she had my size and everything," Izuku said with a nervous chuckle.

"We're not here to disturb their patrol you two," Best Jeanist said. Izuku and Bakugo turned to him. "Come on, we should return."

As the Hero began to walk off, Bakugo grumbled things under his breath about being brought along for a 'shopping trip'.

"R-Right… Well Iida, good luck!"

Iida nodded. "You both as well."

As he watched Izuku head off with the other two, Iida let out a slight sigh of relief.

_I can't let anyone get mixed up in this. _

* * *

It was starting to get dark outside when Best Jeanist and his two interns made it to the train station. Once there, Bakugo was the one who stopped on the steps leading up to the platform, making the other two turn to him.

"Since nobody is sayin' anything, I will— Are really that fuckin' stupid," Bakugo muttered angrily, glaring at Best Jeanist.

Izuku was surprised by this, looking to Best Jeanist, who looked a bit melancholic at that moment.

"Huh…?"

Best Jeanist turned his back to Bakugo. "You must put faith in your fellow Heroes, this field of work isn't all about a single person."

"The hell do you mean? Four-eyes is here where that Hero Killer is right? Ain't that suspicious," Bakugo spat.

_The Hero Killer… _Izuku remembered that the reports all came from Hosu City. His eyes widened a bit as he pieces it together in his mind, remembering the pained voice of Iida. From his encounters with Iida, he seemed friendly and dependable, not the kind of person who would break the law and hunt down a villain alone.

Best Jeanist sighed. "To defy Manual's discretion is to say he is not worthy of being a Pro Hero," the man spoke. "Do you wish to go yell blindly at him and that boy? What will that accomplish?"

"Tch…" Bakugo looked away, gritting his teeth.

"Though your feelings aren't misplaced. I'm just surprised you were able to notice," Best Jeanist stated, before looking over to Izuku. "You didn't know, did you?"

Izuku opened his mouth to speak but then shook his head.

"If that boy has any sense, he won't do anything foolish… And you both as well," the Hero said. "You recall yesterday's lesson, correct?"

* * *

_**The Day Before…**_

For their second day of their internship, Best Jeanist tried twice more to bring Izuku and Bakugo closer to understanding each other— Naturally, both attempts went horribly and had to be scrapped.

"Perhaps I should have gone with my original instincts," Best Jeanist spoke, recalling how he had called them hopeless from the start. Izuku and Bakugo stood before him, scuffed up from an unfortunate tussle they had while on a patrol where Best Jeanist connected threads to them as a team-building exercise.

"If you didn't let this nerd drag me down I'd be alright," Bakugo scowled.

"I-It's not all about you, Kacchan!"

"Call me that stupid name again and I—" Bakugo and Izuku leaned in to glare at each other, so Best Jeanist clasped his hands, making their clothes start to constrict them.

With a sigh, Best Jeanist ran a comb through his hair and leaned back in his chair.

"I think I will take a different approach, something more simple," he spoke. With the snap of his finger, the other Heroes of his agency came quickly. "You both appear to do well in academics, perhaps something like that is more up your alley."

"Eh? What, now we gotta do some equations or something," Bakugo questioned.

They watched as the others of the agency suddenly fell to the ground, all of them writhing in pain and groaning.

"W-What's happening?" Izuku nervously looked around at them and Best Jeanist.

"An exercise for your minds. One of these guys is a villain who injured the others and is pretending to be hurt as well," Best Jeanist stated. "What do you do first in this situation?"

Izuku put a hand to his chin, looking at the people pretending to writhe around, each saying things about their injuries, none of them seeming to stick out much. _I don't really get it—_

One of the men said, "Ow! My back! I think it's broken!"

Bakugo walked over and suddenly stomped on his back furiously. "Oh yeah? You sure you aren't faking it?"

"Gaah— Stop it!"

Best Jeanist sighed, pulling Bakugo back with a thread. "Wrong answer. Midoriya?"

Izuku watched for a few moments, eventually pointing at a tall brown-haired man who seemed particularly bad at acting.

"That guy?"

"Wrong," Best Jeanist said.

"Then who—"

"It doesn't matter, you made your choices and now must live with the consequences," Best Jeanist stated.

The other Heroes all got up, laughing about the two boys and their confusion before heading about their business again.

"Your first thoughts were to weed out a villain before helping those who were injured," Best Jeanist explained. "Whether this was the correct choice is up to interpretation, but you both would have to live with that choice." He pointed to them both. "There are no second chances in a real situation, and no time for bickering. You must put faith in your actions and your fellow Heroes"

Izuku looked down, feeling a bit guilty. _He's right… I don't know how I can make a choice like that yet. And Kacchan and I will never agree to anything..._

He thought back to rushing in blindly to attack Kurogiri, and how Paper Mache had to save him. His rash actions he's taken thus far could've gone wrong but mostly worked out for him— But for how long?

"Heroes are there to beat the shit out of bad guys," Bakugo retorted suddenly. "You can deal with the injured afterwards."

"As I said, the choices made are up to the discretion of the Hero," Best Jeanist spoke. "As long as they are ready to face what happens after that moment."

_Living with your choices huh..._

"Don't fret too much however, this comes more with maturity, thus it will come to you soon enough," Best Jeanist finished, raising a hand, making a thread from his costume grab the briefcase holding Izuku's costume, moving it towards him.

Izuku grabbed the briefcase. "My costume…?"

"I can see that you both have at least a slight ability to learn, so put this on and we will begin something more practical," Best Jeanist spoke. "Tomorrow I must head into Hosu for errands, so there might not be much for us tomorrow."

"Hosu? Some of my class should be there," Izuku commented.

"Well you both will accompany me, mainly so I know you don't do anything unsightly," Best Jeanist told them.

"Yes sir," Izuku said politely, while Bakugo merely scowled at that.

Unfortunately, those of Class H in the Hosu area were very busy with their own work, so Izuku had mainly avoided disturbing them, besides a quick phone chat with Mei.

_I'll focus on my own internship for now, and become the Hero they've helped drive me to become!_

* * *

_**Now…**_

"Believe in your fellow Heroes, and be prepared to face consequences of yours and their actions," Best Jeanist reiterated from the previous day.

"Sounds like you just give up easily," Bakugo retorted.

"If that's what you gleam from that, then sure," Best Jeanist said with a sigh.

_**Crash! BOOMPF!**_

The three ran up the steps to the train station as a loud explosion could be heard. Across the city, smoke was rising and flames could be visible down below.

"Villains…?" Izuku gulped as another explosion occurred in another part of the city. "And over there…?"

Best Jeanist was eyeing something else now. He dropped the sacks he was holding and used his Quirk to unthread some of his costume sleeves, holding them and making a rope of sorts.

"Our trip has just been extended," the man spoke.

Izuku and Bakugo followed his gaze and saw that the train coming into the station wasn't slowing down, and had a big hole in the side of it with something inside causing a ruckus.

"You both are to follow the Heroes guidance to get to safety," Best Jeanist told them seriously. "Do not forget your place."

The Hero ran towards the edge of the station platform and expertly sent the thread rope towards the open hole in the train, catching onto it and going with it as the train flew by. Izuku and Bakugo ran up and watched him go, Best Jeanist swooping into the hole and confronting what was inside.

_What's happening…? Some sort of mass villain attack?_

To Izuku's surprise, he saw Bakugo grinning a bit. "Now this is more like it," the boy spoke.

"H-Hey, we can't do anything, it's against the law," Izuku told him, getting closer.

"You think I don't fuckin' know that?" Bakugo pushed Izuku away. "I'm going to check it out either way!"

"Kacchan—!" Izuku couldn't say anymore as Bakugo blasted away, using his Quirk to land on the street below easily and rushing off.

_I know Kacchan's smart enough to not break the law, but… _Izuku looked around at the pillars of smoke rising through the city. _But I _am _worried about my friends that are here!_

After a few moments of deliberation, Izuku put the metal piece of his suit that covered his mouth and ran towards the many steps leading up to the station and jumped, pressing the switch near the Flow unit on his back, hearing the smooth whisper of the device activating.

_I haven't gotten to fully try it out yet… _

Izuku had read the instructions Mei had left within the suitcase, but never had a chance to try it out as this was his first outing in the suit. He clicked his pinkie fingers inward and waited a moment before releasing them, making air blast out from his boots before he could land on the ground. As he shot forward through the air, Izuku was surprised at how good the suit felt thanks to its lightweight design and breathable fabric.

_Good job Mei! I promise I won't ruin it!_

Izuku slid on the ground and turned down the street he had seen Bakugo go down. His eyes were peeled for signs of where he had gone, but a flurry of explosions drove him through an alleyway and onto another street.

"Kacchan— Eh?"

The boy slid to a halt, shocked at the sight on the street. People were fleeing from a tall, thin white creature whose head was mostly a brain with four eyes on it. It was very humanoid and was even wearing pants, but it obviously wasn't something normal.

_Is that.. a person? Is their Quirk going on a rampage?_

The creature screeched and noticed a woman hiding nearby. As it lurched towards her, Izuku's eyes widened and he froze up.

_I can't act, I need to find a Pro Hero for this… _He clenched his hands tightly, looking around. _Someone? Anyone!_

As he took a step forward, his mind being made up to step in, there was suddenly a massive blast of flames that blew the white creature away. Izuku looked over at the source, seeing the #2 Hero, Endeavor, flying down to the scene using flames as thrusters.

"T-Thank you! Thank you!" The woman ran off, terrified.

Izuku let out a breath of relief, thankful that someone had showed up before he did anything rash. The white creature had seemingly been unscathed, its skin starting to move around in unnatural ways.

_What is that…? _Izuku then looked to Endeavor and audibly gasped.

The Hero was looking at Izuku, not the creature, with a dark expression that made Izuku shiver. It was the sort of look that made him freeze in place, knowing he needed to choose his next actions wisely.

Suddenly the white creature screeched and flames exploded from it, firing a blast just as strong as Endeavor's from before right back at him. The Hero braced himself as the flames enveloped him, before moving a hand and dispelling them to the side.

"Play time's over, you run along before you can mess things up further," Endeavor commanded to Izuku, now focusing on the creature.

Izuku didn't need more than that to flee and leave it up to Endeavor. Whether the man was mad about Izuku defeating Todoroki or not, he had no idea— But the way he looked when he saw Izuku told it all:

Endeavor was pissed.

Izuku made his way down the street, eventually finding the familiar figure of Manual as he was utilizing a fire hydrant to spray down flames blocking the path of civilians.

_Normal Hero: Manual! But… where's Iida at?_

As Izuku approached, another Hero came into his path, using their Quirk to blow falling debris away from everyone safely.

"Hey kid, go with the others towards the evacuation zones," the Hero woman spoke.

"I'm trying to find my friends—"

Before Izuku could finish, a bus came flying at them from down the street. The Hero woman looked over towards the oncoming vehicle too late, so Izuku had to act.

Pushing the woman out of the way, he clicked his pinkie fingers in to blast out of the way as well, twirling through the air before sliding to a stop, taking a breath for a second as he watched the bus slam into a building and erupt into flames.

_Where did that come from…?_

There was a familiar screech, and Izuku looked to see another creature approaching them. This one was much more muscular with black skin and no visible eyes.

"T-Thanks kid, but we got it from here," the Hero stated.

"Hey," Manual said, running over to them. "You're Midoriya right? Have you seen Iida?"

"N-No, I—"

Suddenly the creature rushed in to attack them, with incredible speed. It smacked the woman Hero away with a powerful hit, then reached to strike Izuku. He was too late to react, but luckily Manual sent a blast of water from another nearby water hydrant, knocking the creature away enough for him to miss.

"You need to evacuate so we can work," Manual told him. "It's dangerous here!"

Izuku was worried but he saw that the woman from earlier was recovering from the attack. _They're Pro Heroes, I need to put my faith in them and find Kacchan and Iida!_

He ran off, his new suit to put a bigger spring into his step. From the instructions Mei had given him, the Flow unit of his suit would automatically send bursts of air when it detected his rapid movement, automatically giving him passive increases to his speed. At first it made it hard to run normally, and he skidded around a bit, but eventually he started to get used to it when he heard an explosion go off nearby and ran to go see what was happening.

_Wait for me… Iida… Kacchan!_

* * *

The Hero Killer, Stain, had been ready to claim his first victim of the night. The Pro Hero Native was taken by surprise in an alleyway while trying to rush to help the other Heroes fight the fires that had suddenly popped up, and was now slumped against the wall, his body paralyzed.

Before he could deliver the finishing blow over, Iida Tenya had suddenly rushed in at a blazing speed, using his Quirk to accelerate himself and try to slam his leg into Stain. However, the Hero Killer was quick to act, dodging and slamming Iida's head with his own leg, knocking his helmet off as he slammed into the ground.

As Iida started to get up, he paused as the Hero Killer held a blade up to his neck.

"A child in a suit…? Who are you?"

Iida gritted his teeth as he looked up at the person he hated most. Stain had a look of disdain at the boy, an ominous aura about him making Iida shiver slightly. But he had expected such a foe, mentally prepared for how tough it would be to avenge his brother.

"I am the younger brother of the Hero you attacked…" Iida slowly started to stand, not caring for the blade being held to him. "The younger brother of a most excellent older brother. I have come to stop you in his place!"

Iida remembered his brother's words when he had visited him in the hospital.

"_Can you… take this name…?_"

As Iida stood all the way up, he shouted, "Remember my name for as long as you live— Ingenium! It is the name of the Hero who shall defeat you!"

Stain narrowed his eyes. "I see… Die."

Iida fired up the engines on his left leg, delivering a swift upward kick in an instant. Stain dodged however, jumping into the air and producing a blade from his shoe, jabbing it into Iida's shoulder and pushing him face-down to the ground.

"Ingenium— I kept that man alive to spread the word about me," Stain spoke. As Iida glared up at him, the Hero Killer smirked slightly. "You're weak."

Stain flipped the sword around in his hand and slammed it down into Iida's arm, making the boy gasp loudly from the pain.

"You and your brother are both weak, because you're fake," Stain continued.

"Shut up.. villain," Iida struggled to say through the pain. "My brother is… an amazing Hero… Who gave me a dream!"

Iida remembered how amazed he was to see his brother in action, and how he was highly respected for being resourceful and a great leader. Now he had been paralyzed from the waist down, deemed likely to never be able to work as a Hero again, let alone walk.

"I won't forgive you…" Iida slowly closed the fist of his injured arm. "I'll kill you!"

"Save that guy first," Stain spoke, pointing towards Native, who was still struggling with being unable to move. "Reflect on yourself and save others. "Being taken in by hatred and using your powers for yourself… That is the furthest from what a Hero should be."

Stain ripped the blade from Iida's shoulder, making him gasp. He brought the bloodied steel to his mouth.

"And that's why you shall die."

Licking Iida's blood from the blade, the boy suddenly felt himself becoming paralyzed, shivering slightly as he was completely frozen in place.

"Goodbye, you're an offering to a more just world," Stain spoke as he readied the blade to plunge into Iida's back.

"Shut… up," Iida groaned in anger. "No matter what you say… You're the criminal who hurt my brother!"

"Hmph…" Stain began to thrust the blade downwards when an explosion suddenly rang out from nearby.

Stain looked down the alleyway just as Bakugo came flying through it towards him. Before he could react, the spiky-haired boy punched him hard in the face, sending him sliding back a surprisingly small distance. Bakugo followed it up by throwing his hands forward and creating an explosion, which forced Stain to jump back to avoid the brunt of it.

"Ba...kugo…" Iida looked up at the boy with teary eyes as he landed beside him.

"I figured you were out here doing some stupid shit," Bakugo spoke. "I used to think you were too much of a stiff to do somethin' like this."

"But… how did you—"

"I'm not fuckin' stupid. Apparently this Hero Killer guy shows up like a pansy far from everyone else," Bakugo spoke, grinning a bit as he saw the villain still standing as the smoke cleared. "After blasting around a bit I find you here, getting your shit kicked in."

Stain eyed Bakugo, recognizing him from the pictures that Shigaraki had shown him before.

_He's one of the brats that guy was interested in, _Stain thought.

"You just lay there like that, and I'll take care of this guy," Bakugo spoke, running and blasting himself forward.

"Bakugo… wait…!"

Iida's words were too late as his classmate flew in towards Stain. The man readied his sword, ready to counter attack, analyzing and readying the perfect movement to avoid Bakugo and slice him open.

There was a sharp _shing! _noise as his blade slashed through the air—

And some blood splattered along the nearby wall…

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: U.A Students vs. The Hero Killer**


	37. UA Students vs Hero Killer (Stain Arc)

_**A/N: It's really intriguing how many people hate Bakugo(in canon and here.) I would never 'redeem' his character because he doesn't need redeeming. He's one of the most suitable Hero students there are, and is quite intelligent despite his temper. **_

_**There's a reason All Might basically considers Bakugo a second pupil. *shrug***_

_**Anyways, Happy New Year! Enjoy a 100% action chapter and don't forget to drop a Review! :)**_

**Chapter Thirtyfive - U.A Students vs The Hero Killer**

"_Kacchan! Give it back!"_

"_No way you loser! Come take it from me!"_

"_Wahhh please—!"_

The echoes of the past ran through Bakugo's mind as he watched Izuku swoop in from above, kicking Stain's blade to deflect it before it reached him. The metal shin guards shattered the blade, but the Hero Killer followed through, slashing deeply along Izuku's leg with the broken blade, splattering some blood onto the nearby wall.

Izuku gasped in pain, unable to follow-up immediately due to it, which made Stain strike quickly, dragging a dagger from its holster and attempting to stab Izuku's neck.

Luckily, Bakugo reacted quick, grabbing Izuku's arm and pulling him out of the way, while reaching forward with his right hand to create an explosion that forced the Hero Killer to jump backwards.

"Hmph, more children," Stain scowled.

Izuku looked at his leg, the cut deep but nothing too bad. He winced and tried to withstand the pain as he stood, only to have Bakugo suddenly punch him in the face, knocking him over.

"You idiot… What the fuck do you think you're doing?!"

Bakugo grit bis teeth, feeling conflicting emotions at seeing Izuku save him and take an attack for him. He turned towards Stain and gave the man a dark look, which Stain was surprised to see.

"That look… Someone as prideful as that only distracts from true Heroes," Stain commented.

"You bastard," Bakugo scowled. "You think you can underestimate me?"

Stain lifted his shattered blade to his mouth, his long tongue emerging and licking the blood from it. Izuku gasped as he felt his body become paralyze, in a position of halfway getting up.

_What… is this…?_

Bakugo looked down at Izuku. "Why you still lyin' down? I've hit you harder than that."

"I can't… move…"

"Huh?"

"Bakugo… It's that man's Quirk," came Iida from not far off, who was still paralyzed. "I think if he cuts you… It's all over!"

Stain flipped the broken blade in his hand and took out another one in his other hand, getting into a battle-ready stance.

"Kacchan… You need to go for help," Izuku spoke.

"Tch, as if. I just need to beat this guy and you'll all be fine," Bakugo retorted.

_That's not it! If you get cut, then it's all over…!_

Before Izuku could say anymore, Bakugo suddenly blasted forwards. His speed was incredible, so much so that Stain could barely prepare to dodge. However, Bakugo did the same move he had done on Izuku during the festival finals, creating one explosion as a smokescreen before moving to create another one from Stain's side.

However, the Hero Killer was quick, jumping into the air and spinning to try and slash down Bakugo's body. The spiky-haired boy quickly created explosions from his hands to dodge to the side, getting out of the way, but Stain was quick to land on his feet and jump after him.

Izuku could only watch, frightened for his friend as he battled the monstrous villain before them.

"Kacchan…! Don't get cut," Izuku yelled.

"You think I don't know that?" Bakugo landed against the wall as Stain jumped at him. He used his explosions to jump to the adjacent wall to avoid Stain's blades, but the Hero Killer kept pursuing him quickly. They darted between the two buildings of the alleyway quickly, before Stain finally made a prediction and jumped to where Bakugo was going to land.

"You're pretty fast," Stain spoke darkly.

Bakugo scowled and reached forward and began to spin, ready to create explosions for his special _Howitzer Impact _move he had created, where he drills forward through the air and creates an incredible explosion.

However, he was suddenly stopped as Stain expertly threw two daggers at him, which slammed into his right arm. This made Bakugo pause his spin as he gasped, and Stain took advantage of this by kicking him in the back, sending him straight down to the ground hard.

"_Kacchan…!_" Izuku suddenly clenched his fists, realizing he could now start to move again.

"You were pretty good," Stain commented as he readied his blade and plunged downwards to try and stab Bakugo.

"_Get away from him…!_"

The Hero Killed over to the side just as Izuku's fist came in, punching him hard. The force of Izuku bursting through the air with the Flow's power added much to the strength, and the gloves emitted a shot of air as well after he punched. This sent Stain flying back, but Izuku wasn't done yet. He burst forward with a shot of air and grabbed the Hero Killer, using his momentum to toss him into the nearby wall.

Down below, Bakugo had stood as he watched this transpire.

_Deku… How the hell do you know how to do these things?_ He thought, as be tore the daggers from his arm.

For a brief moment Stain spat up a bit as he hit the wall hard, but suddenly he smiled a bit and looked up. Izuku looked up and saw that a sword was twirling in mid-air above him.

_He threw the sword before I tossed him—_

While Izuku was distracted, Stain jumped at him and slashed at his neck. Izuku moved slightly, the blade scratching across the metal mouth piece of his costume. Stain followed this up by spinning and kicking the sword downwards, which slashed through Izuku's side, making him gasp.

"There's two of us you bastard!" Bakugo suddenly flew in and threw his right hand at Stain, giving him an explosion at close range. The Hero Killer brought his arms up to block, but was still sent flying through the alleyway.

The two boys landed on the ground, with Izuku holding his side, a nice cut on it as deep as the one on his leg.

"So his paralysis ain't much after all," Bakugo commented, looking at Izuku.

"No… that kid was the last one," Native spoke weakly from nearby. "I still can't move… And I was the first."

_That's right… So that must mean…_

Stain emerged from the dust and rubble quicker than they has anticipated, rushing in towards the two.

_Yeah, that must be it…!_

"It's blood..! When he digests blood, it activates," Izuku exclaimed for everyone to hear, remembering how the Hero Killer had licked the blade earlier. "And maybe the amount of blood… Or the blood type effects it!"

"Not bad kid," Stain commented as he drew in close. "You seem to be misplaced amongst these fakes."

Bakugo held his hands forward to create a strong explosive force, which Stain jumped over, throwing a dagger at him. Izuku kicked the dagger away, and Stain flew in with his sword. Bakugo reached over to blow Stain away, but the Hero Killer quickly swung his leg, the hidden blade in his shoe slicing across Bakugo's hand, then he slashed his sword at Izuku.

_He's so fast and agile… But this is how Kacchan and I fight best!_

Izuku brought his arm forward and blocked the blade with the arm guard of his costume, struggling a bit against the strength of the man. Stain was quick to follow the attack up by doing a backflip and bicycle kicking Izuku hard in the jaw, making his vision go blurry for a moment from the force.

Izuku fell back into Bakugo, who pushed him out of the way and jumped forward, blasting at Stain with his left hand, trying to catch him as he landed. The Hero Killer surprised him though by darting forward, going in low to avoid the explosion. Stain slashed upwards at Bakugo, who leaned back to avoid it, but Stain's true goal had been achieved as he leaned in and flicked his tongue over Bakugo's right hand that had been cut moments before.

Bakugo gasped as he was suddenly frozen, standing in place.

"It's a shame that the youth are so misguided," Stain spoke as he slammed his sword towards Bakugo's gut, ready to skewer him.

Izuku burst in however, pushing Bakugo out of the way before bringing his leg up and trying to kick Stain away. The man brought his arm up to block the hit, sliding back a little ways.

Bakugo was hunched back against the wall, unable to move as he looked up at Izuku. He remembered the small, whiny kid who used to follow him around everywhere. That image had crumbled during the festival, and even now it continued to change as he saw how calm and collected Izuku was at that moment.

_This bleeding is gonna get bad, _Izuku thought, his wounds only getting more painful. _It… hurts… _

"Hey, you're pretty good, but you're that Quirkless boy, aren't you?" Stain eyed Izuku and smirked a bit. "You're very resilient."

Izuku glared at the Hero Killer, standing his ground and preparing for his next attack, knowing he needed to stall until someone could help.

Not far behind the two students, Iida watched in horror as they fought to correct his mistake. He mentally kicked himself, knowing this was all his fault.

_Why did you come… This was my duty…._

Iida fought back tears, trying his hardest to move, but the paralysis was still working against him.

"You guys… Just leave… This is my fight," he grunted in effort.

"This isn't just your fight," Izuku retorted to Iida's surprise. "I know you hate him for what he did to your brother… But other people have suffered as well!"

Izuku clutched his side tightly, wincing as the pain from his wounds were only growing.

"Why…" Iida could see how much pain Izuku was in, yet the boy was still standing, ready to protect them. "Please… stop….!"

Izuku had always thought that the Hero class was full of amazing and flawless people. In that moment however, he began to reconcile the fact that it just wasn't true— They were still learning just as he was.

"If you want us to stop, then _stand up!_"

Iida's eyes widened as Izuku yelled that. Stain finally went on the assault once more, rushing in to attack.

"Or you can just watch me become what you want to be!"

Iida remembered his own words, how he had told the Hero Killer that Ingenium would be the one to bring him down. Despite those bold words, here he was, taken down while he watched others fight his battle for him. He scowled and slowly clenched a fist...

As Stain attacked Izuku, he was suddenly quicker than he was before, his face full of much more malice as he smirked the entire time. This didn't throw off Izuku however, who deflected his oncoming blade with his arm. Stain followed it up by kneeing Izuku in the stomach, before spinning and slashing at his neck. The blade hit hard along the metal piece along his mouth and broke it off.

_Crap… The less armor I have the more he can get me…!_

Stain licked along the blade, and Izuku suddenly felt his body freeze.

_No way, when did he—_

There was blood on the blade, but Izuku hadn't been cut again. His eyes widened as he realized.

_My blood on the ground from my bleeding wounds… _The Hero Killer had dragged his blade through that blood and then ingested it.

"Perhaps I could've kept you alive if you would stay frozen more," Stain spoke. "As is, an O Blood Type is problematic. Can't have you running back in any chance you get."

Nearby, Bakugo was struggling with the powerlessness of being unable to move.

"Don't lose… to this bastard," Bakugo muttered angrily. He grit his teeth, angered at the fact that he couldn't move—

There was the sound like an explosion, and Iida suddenly ran in, blue flames jetting from the engines on his legs.

"_Recipro Burst!_"

Iida swung his leg in a downward axel kick, which Stain blocked with his sword. Iida then moved quickly in mid-air, delivering a horizontal sweep with his leg, catching the Hero Killer right in the neck and sending him tumbling away into the nearby wall. Izuku looked up at the tall and reliable Iida that he had known before, his face full of a renewed vigor.

"What kind of Hero am I… If I can't even live up to my brother's name," Iida stated bitterly.

"Iida…!" Izuku smiled a bit.

"I'm sorry you two had to be caught up in this," Iida said solemnly. "I… won't let you bleed more than this!"

Stain emerged once more, some blood coming from his mouth, as he gazed darkly at Iida.

"Trying to change for appearance's sake won't save you," Stain commented. "A hero's essence isn't so easily swayed."

"D-Don't listen to him Iida! He's just a murderer," Izuku said, coughing a bit

"No, he's right," Iida stated, clutching his fists tightly as blood dripped from them from his wounds. "I have no right to call myself a Hero… Not yet… But even then—"

"If I give in now, then Ingenium will die!"

Stain's look became even more vile than before. His smile had vanished, and all that was left was a frightening bloodlust.

"You fakes…. must be purged!"

The Hero Killer darted in, throwing a dagger at Iida while still readying his sword to strike. Iida steadied his resolve and blocked the dagger with his arm, the blade piercing right through it, so he could swing his leg up quickly and counter-attack. He hit Stain's hand hard, disarming him as his blade went flying away.

_Iida… You're definitely amazing! _Izuku admired.

The boy tried to continue the assault, but suddenly felt as his engines gave way, his timer for his Recipro Burst running out sooner than expected.

_Damn, the previous kicks must have broken my radiator, _Iida realized. Still, he tried to deliver another kick, but it was for not as Stain easily dodged and grabbed his leg, slamming him into the wall.

Stain leaned in to lick Iida's wound, but then quickly dodged away as Izuku stood and flew towards him, nearly getting a good hit while his back was turned.

"Thank you, Midoriya," Iida stated with a nod.

"It's… nothing," Izuku said.

"You idiots," Native spoke from nearby. "He just wants me and that armored kid… You should go for help!"

"I don't think that's possible," Izuku retorted. His legs were getting slightly wobbly, and Iida took notice of this.

"I know I'm not in the right to ask this but… Can you fight on?"

Izuku nodded at this. "Of course!"

"Then I'll put my faith in you, Midoriya," Iida stated. "But my engines are going to be stalled out for a little bit."

"Then support me," Izuku told him. "I'll do my best up close."

"Right!"

As the two rushed in, Bakugo watched angrily as he felt like he had been forgotten.

_Nerd…. Four-eyes… I won't be left behind…_

Ever since beating Izuku in the tournament finals, Bakugo had felt a bit of unease within himself. It wasn't enough just to beat the crap out of Izuku, he felt like he needed more, like he still hadn't quite proven himself.

_If anyone ever underestimates me, then I'll…. I'll…._

He flexed his fingers, cracking them as he slowly managed to stand.

"I'll fuckin' rip you apart!"

Stain was nearly clashing with Izuku and Iida when Bakugo suddenly exploded into the scene, blowing right past the other two students and grabbing Stain's right arm, using his momentum to toss the man away up into the air.

"Kacchan…!"

"Split up and take this guy out," Bakugo spat angrily at them. "If you guys slack off then I'll kill you before he can!"

Not needing anymore motivation than that, Izuku and Iida split up, each going up a different wall of the alleyway to try and pincer Stain as he was in mid-air.

The Hero Killer grabbed several daggers from his person, ready to toss them at the boys. However, Bakugo blasted up towards him suddenly.

"Let's see you take us on now," Bakugo exclaimed.

Stain scowled and spun in mid-air, becoming like a blur, the daggers flying out at the three rapidly. Bakugo easily blasted them away, while Izuku dodged and got knicked slightly on his cheek by one. Iida however was climbing up a fire escape stairs, and the daggers slammed into his side. He let out a grunt of pain, but continued on, getting into a position where he was ready to strike.

_Even with my Quirk stalled right now, I'll live up to my word…! _Iida thought, watching for a moment. _Just like Midoriya has shown, a Quirk isn't everything!_

As Bakugo flew up towards Stain, the two clashed as the man tried to elbow Bakugo in the face. The boy caught it and tried to blast him in the stomach with an explosion, but Stain expertly kicked his hand away and then spun around to use his other elbow to send Bakugo flying back towards the ground.

Thanks to Bakugo's effort though, Izuku was able to come in from the side. He punched Stain hard in the face, but the Hero Killer was resilient, bringing his leg up to try and slice Izuku with his shoe blade. Izuku moved to the side a bit, but couldn't dodge completely as it jabbed into his side. He gasped, but grabbed Stain's leg to hold him in place.

"_Iida!_"

At Izuku's call, Iida leaped from the stairs and brought his leg up, ready to bring it down upon Stain.

_Tensei… I won't let Ingenium die…!_

Stain growled and grabbed another blade hidden on his person, trying to jab it into Izuku so he'd let go. However, a piece of rubble blasted up from below, hitting his hand and disarming him. Bakugo was smirking wickedly, having used his Quirk to fire the rubble off as fast as a bullet.

"Get him Four-Eyes!"

Iida brought his leg down hard upon Stain's head, using all of his power. As Izuku felt Stain's leg let up, he pushed away from him, gasping as the blade exited from his side.

_I can't stop there! I have to use everything!_ Iida thought.

Focusing hard, Iida put the last of the energy he had into forcing his engines to fire one last burst of power. Using this, he followed his kick through, which made Stain spiral in the air.

"_TAKE THIS!_"

Iida dropped his other leg hard onto the Hero Killer's back, sending him down towards the ground fast.

"Fuckin' die!" Bakugo was ready, bringing his hands together and blowing the Hero Killer away with as much power as he could muster.

Stain's face went blank as unconsciousness greeted him, his tenacity finally being overwhelmed as he was sent into the nearby wall hard, before collapsing down to the ground with smoke rising from his body from the explosion.

_We… did it…!_

Izuku smiled a bit, but felt his world turning upside down. He slowly closed his eyes, slipping into unconsciousness.

"Midoriya…?!" Iida reached out to him as they fell through the air, but suddenly Bakugo blasted up and grabbed Izuku by the arm.

"Damned nerd causing problems," Bakugo muttered as he landed safely with Izuku in-tow, dropping him to the ground roughly. Iida fell and tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain. "You're the reason this happened Four-Eyes, so help yourself!"

"Bakugo…" Iida slowly got up and gazed at the spiky-haired boy. "I'm—"

"Save it," the boy interrupted. "You might be a fuckup, but at least you had me around to fix this shit."

Iida didn't say anymore. He slowly got up, removing the daggers that were in his side with gasps of pain. Holding his wounds, he looked around at the destruction from the fight, and all of the blood around them.

Despite the overwhelming odds, they had seemingly won.

**To Be Continued**

**The Killer's Finale**


	38. The Killer's Finale (Stain Arc)

_**A/N: Thanks for all the support so far! Didn't know I'd be able to make it this far into the series, definitely couldn't have without all the views and reviews coming in!**_

_**Some quick Q and A- (Mainly questions I just want to answer even if they're not asked lmao)**_

**Will the first movie 'Two Heroes' be implemented?**_**\- Yes, for sure, after the Final Exams, there will be a story arc based on the movie, since the Manga's author himself says that it's canon. It takes place sometime between Stain and the Training Camp Arc, so that's where I'm putting it.**_

**Will there be a big deviation from the canon story at some point?**_**\- No, not really. The arcs should remain generally the same except for some VERY different character development, like with Todoroki, as will be revealed later. People like Iida or Uraraka unfortunately have to suffer from character loss due to Izuku, Bakugo, Todoroki, and another character being even more of a focus than in canon.**_

**What will happen to the Class H students after Izuku is gone?- _I have big plans for one of the main OC's(Yuki, Shiro, Ken) and the other two should at least make appearances sometimes. I knew the day would come that the other members of Class H would have to be left behind, but oh well! They were just to make the class more filled out._**

**Izuku x Mei when?- _ SOON._**

_**I plan on re-writing some of the earlier chapters at some point. Not changing the content but improving the writing and fixing mistakes, like letting people call Mei by her first name accidentally. So eventually that'll happen-**_

**_For now, please enjoy this arc's conclusion- It's very familiar but we're heading for greater things. :)_**

**Chapter Thirtysix - The Killer's Finale**

There wasn't much time for the students to celebrate their victory.

Native recovered shortly after and helped carry the unconscious Midoriya away, while Iida found some rope from nearby trash receptacles and tied the Hero Killer up. All of his many weapons were laid out a little ways away from him, including several that he never even got to use.

"Bakugo, I can pull the rope," Iida insisted.

"You're as fucked up as that nerd over there," Bakugo retorted, pulling Stain along behind himself. "Just bring all those damned weapons."

Once out onto the street, they happened to run into none-other than Best Jeanist. The Hero looked at how banged up the three students were, and shook his head.

"I asked you to do one simple thing," Best Jeanist spoke. "Yet you've managed to go off and…"

The Hero trailed off as he realized that Bakugo had Stain in-tow. His eyes widened a bit.

"The Hero Killer…"

"Yeah, that's right! Told ya I don't need your stupid lessons," Bakugo yelled.

"This just means you're more reckless than I had originally thought," Best Jeanist muttered. "But I _did _explain you must make your own choices."

"We really need to get these guys some medical attention," Native pointed out, specifically nodding over to Izuku on his back.

"Put him down, I'll help in the meantime—"

As the Heroes reconciled themselves, two shadowy figured watched from atop a tall building in Hosu. One whom was using binoculars scowled as he saw the scene transpiring.

"What is that, Hero Killer…?" Shigaraki looked over to Kurogiri beside him. "Those U.A brats are there as well."

"Such is the duality of Heroes and Villains, I suppose," Kurogiri commented. "Always there to balance out the dark."

Shigaraki groaned, scratching at his neck. "Do something about this. Use the last Nomu that's still standing…"

"Right." The shadowy Kurogiri dissipated, heading off to the streets below, where the final Nomu, the winged one whom had attacked the train, was running rampant, one of its arms having been torn off by Best Jeanist.

The creature screeched as it saw the void portal appear.

"Come, your enemies are this way," Kurogiri spoke. "In fact, there is something you should do…"

After a few minutes, Best Jeanist had used threads to secure Izuku's wounds to stop the bleeding. The boy had started to slowly come to, and panicked a bit about where he was, but he quickly stopped moving as pain shot through him.

"Don't move too much. I'm no doctor, but you'll be fine for now," Best Jeanist spoke.

"Hey, what the hell…"

As Bakugo spoke, everyone looked down the street where he was looking. A familiar black void had suddenly appeared, something both Bakugo and Iida recognized instantly.

"A Nomu… It's the League of Villains!" Iida glared at the portal, wincing a bit as his untreated wounds as he wondered if he would be able to move.

Best Jeanist stood and walked in front of the others, preparing himself. Suddenly, the flying Nomu flew out from the portal at an incredible speed, heading towards them.

"That one again… I never leave a job unfinished," Best Jeanist spoke, unravelling his costume and sending threads of fabric flying at the Nomu.

The creature squealed, its wings beating so hard that wind was kicking up, deflecting the threads. It appeared to be coming right for Best Jeanist, so he prepared to intercept it— However, the Nomu suddenly veered left, swooping in and snatching up Izuku.

In that moment, Best Jeanist jumped towards them and tried to create threads to latch onto the creature, but its wings sent him sliding back as he and the others struggled against its wind. Some blood from the Nomu's severed arm that Best Jeanist had taken off earlier blew over onto the Hero's face.

"Hey, you guys— What the heck is happening over here?"

Several other Heroes who had been fighting the Nomus arrived just in time to see the commotion. They gasped as they saw the Nomu flying away with Izuku in-tow.

_Why… me?! _Izuku thought as he struggled to break free from its grasp, his wounds stopping him from doing much.

"Bakugo! This once you've got my permission to—"

Best Jeanist stopped as something slimy moved along his cheek. He looked over, shocked to see Stain moving past him, the ropes that were holding him falling apart. Ahead of them, the Nomu suddenly squealed as it froze in mid-air, starting to fall and glide across the street. Before Best Jeanist could react to this, the Hero Killer ran forward at an alarming speed, leaping into the air with the hidden blade he had used to escape at the ready.

"This society overgrown with fake Heroes… and the criminals who wave their powers around idly…!" Stain jabbed the knife right into the back of the Nomu's head. "Should be purged!"

They fell to the ground, sliding a ways before the Nomu's life finally gave out. Stain then slowly stood, his movement very loose as if he couldn't put much effort into it.

"This is all to create a more just society," he spoke, his dark gaze turning to Izuku, who gulped as he looked up at him.

"He saved that kid!"

"Idiot! He took a hostage!"

The other Heroes all readied themselves to fight, but Endeavor suddenly entered the scene in a flurry of flames.

"Why are you all grouped up? Hm…?" The #2 Hero gazed across the road at the dead Nomu, seeing Stain standing there. "The Hero Killer!"

Stain glared back at Endeavor. "Endeavor….!"

Endeavor smirked as he readied his flames, flaring up with excitement. "I'll take you down—!"

"Endeavor! Wait," Best Jeanist exclaimed, pointing out Izuku beside Stain.

"Tch… That stupid kid," Endeavor scowled as he let his flames disperse.

As they watched, Stain took a step towards them, his mask finally falling from his face. Everyone became uneasy as a powerful malice was emanating from him, his blood-red eyes glowing in the moonlight.

"You fake… Endeavor! Come and try to get me," Stain spoke darkly. "Someone must be dyed in blood!"

Nearby, Izuku was frozen in fear, not that he could move much in his condition anyways. The other Heroes and students were also taken aback, the sinister air that the Hero Killer was creating making even Endeavor and Best Jeanist worried.

"The only one I will let kill me, is the true Hero… _All Might!_"

Stain shouted All Might's name, his words striking fear in everyone's minds. For a few moments, they could only stand and watch the Hero Killer as he let out a roar of anger—

And then, he stopped and seemed to freeze up.

Izuku's breathing steadied as he gazed up at the Hero Killer, noticing that he was foaming at the mouth a bit, and his eyes appeared to lose their light.

_He's… unconscious?_

Everyone slowly began to breathe normally again, a wave of calm overtaking the city that had become a fiery mess over the past hour.

"Hey hey… Why'd that Nomu have to go and get killed," Shigaraki scowled, crumbling his binoculars to dust. "Those U.A kids… always in the way…"

Kurogiri looked out across the city towards where Stain had been defeated.

_That Quirkless boy again… Was he able to impress Stain as well?_

The two villains retreated back to their hideout through a void portal to reconcile their failures that night...

The Hero Killer and the League of Villains' threat had been stopped, for now.

* * *

Izuku had awoken in the hospital the next day, sitting up quickly but regretting it instantly as pain shot through his body. He examined himself, seeing that under his hospital gown, there were bandages around his wounds, especially his right side where he had been stabbed and slashed and his leg that had been gashed.

The bandages seemed fresh and had likely been changed not long ago, and the lack of blood meant his wounds might've been healed up by a healing Quirk. However the pain was still resonating through him, and he felt very groggy.

As soon as Izuku looked up to examine the room, he was instantly attacked as someone threw their arms around him, smothering him with soft 'pillows'.

"Izuku! You're alive! You looked so dead when I came last night," Mei exclaimed.

"Owowow, Mei that—" The boy was blushing hard as he managed to push her back a bit, taking a deep breath after being smothered by Mei's kalamazoos. "I-I'm glad you're here."

Mei smiled, grabbing his hands and holding them.

"Of course I'm here! I knew you'd get into danger as soon as you possibly could," Mei laughed.

"That's— AH—" Izuku gasped as Mei was suddenly grasping his hands tightly and painfully.

"But you broke some of the costume… You said you'd take care of it," Mei spoke sadly, her eyes quivering a bit like she was going to cry.

"I-I'm sorry…!" Izuku closed his eyes, unsure of what the girl might do if she was angry with him, but then Mei laid her head in his chest and began to sob. "Mei…?"

Izuku gazed at the girl for a moment, then smiled softly, petting her head gently. He figured that this was just her being worried for him. _I'm sorry, I guess I was reckless again…._

Behind her, a person stood up, and Izuku noticed them for the first time.

"Best Jeanist…?" The Hero appeared a bit tired, but still neat and tidy.

"I guess I shall get the others," Best Jeanist stated as he hopped away towards the door. "Hatsume, come on."

Mei suddenly stood up as if nothing was wrong and headed to the door, exiting promptly while saying, "See you later Izuku!"

"Um…"

"That girl was causing a ruckus, so we allowed her to stay with you," the Hero answered without needing a question, sighing as if it was a long story, before exiting.

Izuku chuckled a bit, but then his demeanor soured. _I hope the others are alright… The last thing I remember is…_

He recalled the Hero Killer speaking to the other Heroes, but didn't remember what he had said. Izuku had passed out shortly after, his pain vanishing as he slipped into unconsciousness.

A few moments later, the door opened again and an unfamiliar man stepped in, followed by a very reluctant-looking Bakugo and Iida, both wearing casts and bandages in their respective injury slots, and Best Jeanist and Manual. The broad-shouldered man ahead of them looked normal enough, except for the fact that he had _the head of a Beagle!_

"This is the Hosu City's Chief of Police, Kenji Tsuragamae," Best Jeanist explained.

_C-Chief…?!_

Izuku looked to Bakugo and Iida, who seemed like they already had been scolded.

"Izuku Midoriya," Tsuragamae started, "You also assisted in bringing down the Hero Killer, correct?"

"Y-Yes…"

The dog-headed chief nodded and looked back at the other two boys behind him.

"I have already discussed some things with these two, but now that you are all here, I can give you the full rundown," Tsuragamae spoke. ".._woof._"

_Woof?! _Izuku gulped, feeling an air of dread hanging over them as they readied for what the Chief would say. Bakugo and Iida both walked over to

"As you likely know, the Police banned Quirk users long ago from being a part of them, due to fears that their Quirks would be used as weapons," Tsuragamae spoke. "Thus Heroes rose to fill that role, but have to undergo stiff regulations all the same."

The Chief looked over to the two Pro Heroes, Best Jeanist and Manual, who were also there.

"Any who break those rules, and those responsible for said individuals, will he punished accordingly," Tsuragamae stated.

"Bullshit!" As Bakugo yelled suddenly, Izuku was shocked. "We took down that Hero Killer in self-defense!"

Tsuragamae nodded, seemingly not taken aback by Bakugo's blunt rudeness.

"That is just what the Police force believes as a whole, logically, _woof_," the Chief spoke. "It may be a little underhanded but… Due to the low amount of people who know about what happened, we will be able to cover it up."

The three boys looked surprised by this, the thick air of tension about their punishments starting to alleviate.

"Of course this means you will not receive the recognition you normally would have gotten," the man continued. "If the public learned of your efforts, you would be applauded but judgement could not be escaped. The violation can end here, but which do you prefer?"

Izuku, Bakugo, and Iida reflected for a moment on the fight against the Hero Killer. The sacrifices they had made in order to fight and protect the others, all of the blood, sweat, and tears as they put their lives on the line…

But they all knew what they wanted.

"There were some singes and burns, I presume from this one's Quirk," Tsuragamae spoke, motioning to Bakugo. "This will help support the story that Endeavor was the one who took down the Hero Killer, _woof._"

Bakugo scowled and looked away. "...Whatever you gotta do."

Tsuragamae nodded. "Personally, I don't want to be the one who faults promising young ones just because of one mistake," he stated, giving them a thumbs up.

"Of course, we'll still take responsibility for failing you as your mentors," Manual spoke solemnly, smiling sadly.

Iida approached the man and bowed to him.

"I'm sorry for dishonoring your institution… I have a lot to learn still," Iida spoke.

Manual smirked and gently tapped his bowed head.

"If you understand, then don't do it again. You'll cause troubles for others!"

"Yes sir!"

Izuku was smiling now, and he looked to Bakugo who caught his gaze and growled a bit.

"I-I'm very sorry," Izuku spoke. Since he didn't feel like he could stand yet, he did his best bow from the bed at the Police Chief.

Bakugo was having no part in it, but Best Jeanist moved a hand to force him to bow by controlling his hospital gown, the boy gritting his teeth violently to stop himself from yelling obscenities.

Tsuragamae surprised them all by then returning the bow.

"As someone who also protects the peace… Allow me to say, thank you."

The Police Chief left shortly after. The three boys felt relief at how it had gone, but soon enough, Best Jeanist turned that on its head.

"So you two made your choice," Best Jeanist stated as he turned to Bakugo and Izuku. "And choices have repercussions, yes?"

"What's your point," Bakugo spat, readying himself in case the Hero tried to constrict him or something.

"The point is, you, Bakugo, are a part of the Hero class, I'd expect you to know better," Best Jeanist continued. "As for Izuku, this was your time to prove yourself. Almost instantly, you go and break the law. I might've been correct to call you both hopeless…"

Before Izuku or Bakugo could retort, Iida stepped forward and bowed deeply to the Hero.

"Please, this is my fault! Bakugo and Midoriya both rescued me," the bespectacled boy spoke. "My rage blinded me… yet these two were willing to stand and protect me!"

"Iida…" Izuku looked down at his lap, clutching his hands tightly, feeling some pain surging through them. "If only I'd noticed sooner…"

Iida was surprised by Izuku's words, looking back to him.

"Kacchan knew," Izuku began, "The reason you were there was for the Hero Killer… He went off and found you, and I only arrived because I followed him."

Izuku looked over at Best Jeanist before continuing: "Kacchan _is _in the Hero course, so he knew what he needed to do. He made a choice and all I could do was follow. I was reckless, just like always…"

Bakugo growled. "Hey nerd, you aren't gonna make some sacrifice here. I did what I did, and _nobody _can take that way from me, you hear?!"

"You guys…" Iida smiled a bit, feeling disappointment in himself for causing it all. "Thank you both… I hope I become a better example as a class representative."

"You fuckin' better," Bakugo muttered.

Best Jeanist took out his comb and ran it through his hair as he turned away.

"Well, you only did what I told you I suppose," the Hero spoke. "I just hoped you'd have better self-worth. One day you'll learn to not just follow someone's words because they are above you, but to interpret them for yourself. For now get your rest, and tomorrow we will see what to do about you both."

With that, the boys could finally breathe a sigh of relief as the battle in that dark Hosu alleyway was blacked out, and remained unknown to the general public… However, the Hero Killer's legacy was already bringing out evil that had been lurking within the shadows…

One such individual was listening to a news report about how the Hero Killer was captured by Endeavor, walking through an alleyway with her headphones in, and a skip in her step.

It was only a day after his capture, but the girl was excited about what was to come. As the news anchor described Stain's heinous crimes, a wicked smile crept up onto the girl's face.

_Stainy…~_

* * *

When Izuku was finally 'okayed' by the hospital, it was time to receive his judgement as he was to head back to U.A with Best Jeanist to meet with the Principal. Of course, this meant that Bakugo came along as well, the boy feeling like he wanted to explode as he sat in the back seat beside Izuku, the green-haired boy wearing a cast on his injured arm and heavy bandaging around his right leg.

When they arrived, Izuku was to head inside alone. Best Jeanist and Bakugo were going to talk to some of the other Pro Hero teachers about the destruction done to Hosu city and discuss what they saw.

Izuku felt more confident than the first few times he made the trip to the Principal's Office. He went to knock with his good hand but found the door opening.

"E-Excuse me—?"

Suddenly a teacup was thrown at him. Izuku ducked under it and it crashed to the floor in the hall. Confused, he looked in and saw the Principal standing on his desk, with Aizawa sitting in a chair nearby.

"Midoriya! You're finally here," Principal Nezu exclaimed. "Please come in!"

Izuku hesitantly entered and closed the door. He was glad it wasn't absolutely full of Heroes like last time, but the two Heroes before him were enough to put him on edge.

"You were taking a test to enter the Hero course, and you wind up fighting a villain," the Principal spoke erratically. "What's up with that?"

"W-Well, I—-"

"And furthermore! Someone as dangerous as the Hero Killer! You just want U.A to go under for endangering students huh," the Principal continued, interrupting him.

Izuku gulped and looked away, unsure of what to say. The Principal sighed and hopped down into his chair, looking to Aizawa.

"Eraserhead, we've already heard from Best Jeanist about his thoughts," Nezu spoke, "But what is your final verdict?"

Aizawa gazed over at Izuku with his usual look of tired disinterest.

"Midoriya… I see you as a problem, a big problem— But also as a challenge for me to strengthen my own teaching abilities," the scruffy man spoke. non-chalantly "I can't erase your Quirk, so it seems like a pain to train you but… That also sounds kind of entertaining."

Aizawa grinned, but it looked very menacing to Izuku who wasn't used to the man yet.

"I'm gonna put you through hell, to get you up to speed with the others," Aizawa continued. "If you fall behind, nobody is gonna pick you up, not anymore."

Izuku blinked at him, silent for a moment.

"Wait… what?" He looked to the Principal, who had a slight smile. "Does that mean…"

"Yes Midoriya. Even Best Jeanist has recommended you personally," the Principal spoke. "Despite what he believes you can represent, he thinks you are willing to go against the stigma of what being Quirkless means and rise above expectations."

"But you still have a last day of internship, so don't screw it up," Aizawa added while yawning.

This was overwhelming to Izuku, his mind a jumble as he began to process everything that was going on.

"Izuku Midoriya!" The Principal raised his paws in the air excitedly and exclaimed:

"Welcome to the Hero Course!"

**To Be Continued**

**Next Chapter: The Quirkless Hero**


	39. The Quirkless Hero

_**A/N: I'm progressively going to be making the chapters longer. My goal is 5k+ words per chapter, whereas usually its around 3k+. This is so more ground can be covered per chapter. So look forward to that!**_

_**PSA: If you post a review as a Guest, there's no way for me to respond to you. *shrug***_

_**Don't forget to Drop a Review and let me know how it's going! :)**_

**Chapter Thirtyseven - The Quirkless Hero**

The last day of Izuku's internship with Best Jeanist was much more laid back than the previous days. Everything had changed due to the Hero Killer's downfall, and while the country felt safer with him locked away, the Heroes of society knew better.

"The Hero Killer's ideals," Best Jeanist spoke as he had the injured Izuku and Bakugo doing menial cleanup tasks. "These are what we should fear from the events two days ago."

"His ideals?" Izuku huffed as he set down some books, having to carry them with his good arm. "L-Like, there could be copycats..?"

"Not necessarily that…" The Hero leaned back in his chair, touching his fingers together in thought. "It is more like those who were hiding in the shadows might become inspired by him, just as the youth of today might be inspired by someone like All Might."

Izuku had never really considered that concept. While he had always wished to become a Hero to save people with a smile, the unfortunate reality was that Villains existed as well to oppose those goals. Yet it couldn't be as black and white as that.

_Someone like Miss Negative, so full of pain, _Izuku thought. _There's a gray area there…_

"It's bullshit," Bakugo commented seriously. Izuku looked over at the boy who was putting some things in their place. "Bad guys are just gonna' end up six feet under. Who the hell wants to strive for that?"

Best Jeanist nodded. "You're correct, in our view as those striving for heroics, it does seem quite crazy."

"It's not that easy though," Izuku stated. Best Jeanist looked to him, interested in his serious expression. "I've seen it before… Someone can be misguided and just need a push in the right direction."

"That morally gray area is what I was attempting to guide you towards," Best Jeanist admitted. "It is the most difficult part of being a Hero."

Best Jeanist stood from his desk and approached the two boys, who looked over to him. He raised his hands and Bakugo tensed up a bit defensively, but Best Jeanist simply placed them on their shoulders gently.

"If you can make firm decisions even in those difficult times… You can become fine Heroes."

Those words would prove to help the two boys in their future endeavors, even if they didn't know it yet. When the afternoon came, they were set to return to U.A, and parted ways at the entrance to the Genius Office.

As Bakugo began to walk away, he paused, making Izuku tense up a bit as he expected something like a violent outburst.

"Deku," Bakugo said slowly, looking back over his shoulder. "If they let you into the Hero course, I'm gonna beat your ass, you know that, right?"

Izuku gulped and nodded slowly, unsure of what to say.

"The only reason I'm not doing it now is because you'll prolly bleed out or somethin' from your wounds," Bakugo said as he turned away again.

"Kacchan…" Izuku smiled a bit, surprised by _any_ hint of friendliness from the boy.

"Don't get the wrong idea! When you're back to 100%, we're fuckin' fighting," Bakugo growled. "I'll beat you down into the ground til you want to give up!"

"We'll see about that," Izuku responded.

Bakugo shook his head. "Stupid Quirkless bastard," he muttered as he walked off.

Izuku watched him go, feeling a warmth overtaking him as he reflected on everything that had happened, and what the Principal had told him the day before.

_The Hero course… _

Taking one last look up at the Genius Office, Izuku headed off towards the train station to leave Tokyo and the past week behind him.

* * *

Inko Midoriya was in shambles over seeing her son bandages all over his side and leg. She had visited him in the hospital and berated everyone involved with the Stain incident, though she had no knowledge of what had really happened to Izuku and the other boys.

Now back home again, it took a while before Izuku's mother settled down enough for him to tell her what was happening.

"T-The Hero course…?!" His Mother held a hand over her mouth. "But that's…"

"It's everything I've ever wanted! I can finally train to become a Hero," Izuku said excitedly.

Inko looked down nervously. "Izuku… I-I'm very… proud of you."

Izuku looked at his Mother, seeing the worry in her face. It made him sad, knowing he had worried her yet again, even though he had decided to change that.

"Mom… I might be Quirkless, but that doesn't mean I'm powerless," Izuku began. "And I'm not alone out there, I'll have others to help me—"

"But inventions and training can only go so far!" His Mother held her mouth after her outburst, tearing up a bit. "I'm sorry Izuku, I-I didn't mean…"

As she trailed off, Izuku surprised her by chuckling a bit. She looked up at him in shock.

"I'm not the same boy I used to be," Izuku told her. "A year ago I didn't know anything, and even now I'm kinda lost… But that's why I need the Hero course."

Izuku held a hand in front of himself and clutched it into a fist before he continued.

"During the Sports Festival I could really feel it. I have the power to make a difference, with my body and my spirit," Izuku said. He looked to his Mom and smiled. "So please… Don't worry about me so much."

Inko sniffled and wiped her tears away. "How could I not… I love my little son who always wanted to be like All Might, even if that thought scares me. I'm so happy for you Izuku, I-I really am!"

"Mom…" Izuku reached out and touched her hand, which she grabbed, smiling sadly.

The two shared a solemn yet happy dinner together before Izuku finally got to retreat back to his bed, feeling the relief of being home overtaking him as he eventually fell into an exhausted sleep.

* * *

Izuku bowed deeply to his fellow classmates, ignoring the pain that caused in his injured side.

"T-Thank you for everything," Izuku spoke loudly.

The other students all gazed at him, unsure of what to say. They were mostly uneasy about losing one of their class

"That being said, Midoriya isn't leaving the school or anything," Power Loader pointed out. "So no need to cry about it… I'm talking to you, Shiro."

The short girl was sobbing loudly at her seat, while Mei scooted over and patted her back.

"Hey hey, we can still make cool babies for Izuku though," Mei told her.

"B-But… It just won't be the same," Shiro said sadly.

Izuku stood and looked around at the class. He also felt a bit saddened, like he was leaving them behind after the Support course had led him to his goal. That _was_ the plan, after all, so why did it feel so wrong now?

Power Loader put a hand on his shoulder and looked out to the rest of the class.

"Thanks to the effort you guys put into the Sports Festival, we've actually gotten lots of requests for transfers," their teacher stated. "Just like the Heroes, if you slack off I'll probably replace ya. Got it?"

"Power Loader-sensei…" Izuku looked over to the teacher.

He smirked to Izuku and whispered. "Gotta get their minds off of it, or they won't leave you alone, ya know?"

Izuku chuckled a bit, then looked out at the class. He saw Mei consoling Shiro, and in the back was Ken, who seemed like he was asleep. Along with Izuku's desk, another one was empty…

"Where is Yuki?"

Power Loader sighed. "Well, I can't really say. For now, you gotta get going right? I'll tell him you said goodbye."

Izuku was worried but he nodded. He gave another quick bow to his former classmates and grabbed his bag. As he approached the door and opened it, his classmates said their goodbyes and wished him luck, and Izuku nearly felt himself start to cry.

_Thank you everyone…._

He stepped outside, and almost instantly someone grabbed him from behind and embraced him. Izuku gasped and looked back at who was touching him uncomfortably.

"Mei…?"

The pink-haired girl smiled mischievously at him, her squishy chest pushing against his back.

"Izuku, you won't forget about me, right," the girl said in a forced innocent voice, smiling widely.

"W-What do you mean? Of course not," Izuku responded nervously.

"Oi! Hatsume! Let him go," Power Loader called from inside. "We have lessons to get to!"

To Izuku's surprise, he saw a glimpse of sadness as Mei looked down towards the ground, her smile dropping. Her hug really _really _hurt due to his injuries, but he wasn't worried about that, knowing his closest friend might be feeling bad.

"H-Hey, weren't you the one comforting Shiro," Izuku pointed out.

"So? Am I not allowed to be sad too," Mei muttered.

Izuku thought about his Mother, how no matter what he said, she was always going to worry about him. At some point, maybe he wasn't going to be able to stop anyone from worrying, but perhaps that wasn't always necessary anyways.

_I need to stop trying to change people around me, _Izuku realized. He thought about butting heads with Yuki, Shiro, and Ken at various times, about helping to fix Mei's sleep schedule and overworking herself, about trying to talk to Bakugo about their issues to no avail— He was always trying to take the Hero's role to heart and fix people's flaws. Perhaps with someone like Todoroki he was successful, he still wasn't sure, but Izuku knew now what he needed to really change.

_I'll start accepting people more, _he thought. _I'll learn to cherish people as they are!_

Izuku gently grabbed Mei's arms and pulled them away, turning to her as his hands slipped down to hers, grasping them for a moment. The girl looked up at him, her piercing yellow eyes making him slightly nervous.

"Mei… You're my best friend," Izuku told her. "I'd literally never be able to forget about you."

For a moment they stood there staring at each other, Izuku's face slowly becoming more and more flushed as the silence lingered. Then a gasp from behind Mei made them turn to see Shiro standing there, shocked.

"D-Did Midoriya confess?!"

"H-Huh…? What—" Izuku let go of Mei's hands suddenly and waved his hands innocently in front of himself. "It's not… I…"

As Izuku stuttered, Mei chuckled and held a hand to her mouth, whispering purposefully loud enough to Shiro for Izuku to hear.

"I don't think Izuku is brave enough to say how he really feels," the girl whispered loudly. Shiro nodded confidently in agreement.

"Mei…!" Izuku turned away to hide his embarrassment.

"_HEY! _You girls think I'm a joke or somethin'?!"

"Oops, well I guess we better go," Mei said, pushing Shiro back into the class. "Bye Izuku!"

As Izuku turned to look to them, he gave a small wave and smile, but then he saw the angered Power Loader behind Mei, and as the door slammed shut, he gulped.

_I wish the Hero course was a fresh start but… I'm sure they know about any trouble I've gotten into_, Izuku thought.

He made his way down the hall towards the Hero Classes of 1-A and 1-B. As he grew closer, he noticed none-other than Iida waiting for him.

"Ah, Midoriya, you finally made it," Class A's rep stated seriously.

"Iida, it's good to—"

"You were supposed to be here five minutes ago! I'm not sure about your previous class, but there are standards here at Class A," Iida interrupted him sternly.

Izuku gulped. "A-Ah… I'm sorry…"

Iida pushed his glasses up and nodded, turning to the door and putting a hand on it. Before he opened it, however, he turned to Izuku and smiled warmly.

"Thank you, Midoriya," the boy stated. "Even if you don't think it's necessary… I'll repay you one day."

With that, the bespectacled boy opened the door and stepped inside.

"Sensei! The transfer student is here!"

"Late huh… That's not a good start," Aizawa spoke from inside.

Izuku took a deep breath and clenched his fists tightly as he stepped inside of Class 1-A.

Many familiar faces gazed at Izuku as he walked in. Of course he recognized Bakugo and Todoroki, but also a few others he had faced at the Sports Festival.

"Hey hey, no way," Denki Kaminari spoke. "It's that guy…!"

"Isn't that the…."

The class murmured amongst themselves, as Izuku stood at the front nervously. Aizawa eyed him then looked out towards the class.

"This is Izuku Midoriya, he'll be transferring into Class A from this day onward," Aizawa stated. "As you know, we've been down a student since the incident at USJ."

There was an empty desk behind Bakugo, and behind that was the boy Izuku recognized as Mineta. Many of the students looked towards the desk, with pained expressions on their faces. Izuku had only heard via the news about the girl, Ameyoshi Shirui, but never saw any after-effects from her being injured.

"Midoriya has some experience already with villains, as you all have had," Aizawa explained. "Just like how you've all had your own training, he has as well— So don't underestimate him."

Izuku felt a bit nervous with such words being directed his way, but he tried his best to stand tall and look confident.

"Nobody is replacing Shirui," Aizawa continued on. "She is still expected to make a return to school soon thanks to some experimental treatments."

A hand shot up, and Izuku recognized it was Mina Ashido, the girl who was on Bakugo's team during the Cavalry Battle.

"Sensei! Are you gonna spoil Shirui when she comes back? She totally saved your life," Mina asked excitedly.

"What kind of question is that…" Aizawa sighed.

"It's true though," came the red-haired boy Kirishima, "Her Quirk helped you beat the hell outta those Villains!"

"That's an assumption—"

"Sensei, do I really have to replace my view of a beautiful girl with someone else—" Mineta began.

Aizawa activated his Quirk, his scarf also unraveling and making the class feel uneasy, interrupting Mineta's awful question as they all stayed quiet now.

_S-Somehow I'm not really the topic anymore… _Izuku was glad that it had shifted a bit from him, taking some of the pressure off.

"Midoriya!" Izuku jumped a bit as Iida suddenly said his name from nearby. "Please take your seat behind Bakugo, so the morning debriefing may continue."

"R-Right…" Izuku gave a quick bow to the class before nervously walking over towards the left side of the class. As he walked past Bakugo, the spiky-haired boy glared at him.

"Bastard," Bakugo muttered.

Izuku put his bag down and sad, letting out a sigh of relief that there wasn't a big introduction or anything— But that all changed quickly.

"Midoriya," Aizawa spoke. "Your main assignment today is to figure out your Hero Name."

"Hero name…?"

"Everybody else has already selected them," Aizawa explained. "Midnight helped with it for the rest of the class, and it's kind of a drag so… Figure it out on your own and have it ready by the afternoon."

Izuku gulped. He had thought about the name a lot, and his friends from the Support Course agreed that it was fitting. Still, it was a bit embarrassing to have to stand in front of students he didn't really know and explain himself.

"As for your internships, I'm sure you learned at least something from who you went with," Aizawa continued on. "I hope you're ready to use that experience for your Final Exams coming in the next couple of weeks—"

Izuku was filled in on some details he had missed. Apparently there was a Summer Training Camp upcoming in early July, and those who did well with their grades would be allowed to attend, and the others would be forced into remedial studies.

Luckily for Izuku, he was already doing well in his general courses, especially Mathematics, so all he really needed to do was to catch up with the Hero studies. He _assumed _his grades from Power Loader's Support work may transfer over to that category, but he wasn't sure.

After Aizawa finished, Present Mic arrived for their first period English lessons. It wasn't long before lunchtime came, and Izuku was more than happy to escape his unfamiliar surroundings— Til four people suddenly approached his desk.

They were, from left to right, Ashido, Kaminari, Kirishima, and Mineta. Izuku looked to them nervously, not sure what to expect.

"Yo Midoriya! You were totally cool at the festival," the blonde boy Kaminari said, giving a thumbs up.

"O-Oh, thanks—"

"Hey hey you, were the one who made that device for Tetsutetsu right?" Kirishima smirked. "My bad for breaking it, but that thing made his punches _hurt_!"

Izuku chuckled, and Mineta suddenly leaned over his desk, getting uncomfortably close. In fact, Izuku felt a bit of nostalgia, as Mineta reminded him eerily of a certain short girl from the Support class…

"You smell like…" Mineta sniffed the air. "A girl."

Izuku gulped. "W-What's that supposed to mean—"

The pink girl Ashido pushed Mineta away and said enthusiastically, "Hey hey, you're gonna eat with us right? I wanna ask about a lot of things!"

A bit overwhelmed, Izuku stood and backed away a bit as the four started to talk at the same time and try to get him to do various things— Finally he was saved when a girl he didn't recognize approached.

"H-Hi! I'm Uraraka… And you're… Midoriya, right," the girl said, giving a warm smile. "You were cool during the festival!"

Izuku blushed slightly at Uraraka, who seemed very friendly and calm compared to everybody else. He nodded.

"Y-Yes, it's nice to meet you," Izuku stammered.

"Come on everyone," Iida called. "Stop pestering the new student!"

"Say, do you need someone to eat lunch with? Or will you eat with your other class?"

Izuku didn't know how to answer Uraraka's question, but luckily Iida came in to physically urge everyone along. He said a quick goodbye and jotted off towards the lunchroom, already eager to see his old classmates again.

After grabbing a tray of food, he went to their usual table, finding Shiro, Ken, Taka, and Ninsei there.

"Midoriya! You're alive," Shiro exclaimed, jumping up and nearly throwing everyone's lunch off the table.

Ken created a boxing glove around his hand and smacked her right over the head.

"Calm down, he's literally down a couple of hallways from us," Ken muttered. "Still, I'm surprised you're over here."

"Well, I um…" Izuku searched around the room with his eyes for a moment.

"Looking for Hatsume?" Izuku's reaction made Ken sigh as it was confirmed. "She's doing some extra workshop tasks."

"I-I see…" Izuku looked down at his tray.

"Hmph, so without her you can't sit with us _lame-o's huh_," Shiro scoffed.

"That's—"

_SLAM! _Ken smacked her over the head again, the girl scowling as he started to hear her food again.

"You don't gotta feel obliged to pander to us ya know," Ken pointed out. "We'll be fine. Hatsume's always overworking herself anyways."

Izuku nodded and smiled to the others as well.

"R-Right, I um… I'll see you around!"

With that Izuku headed off a bit awkwardly towards the area where Class A was mostly at, however, he encountered yet _another_ struggle as none-other than Tetsutetsu of 1-B suddenly shot up in front of him.

"Midoriya! I heard you made it into Class A," the boy exclaimed loudly. "Congratulations!"

There was silence in the lunchroom, and Izuku gasped, looking around as literally every student around was looking at him now. He caught some intrigued looks, but also some dirty and petty looks.

"T-Thanks," Izuku responded softly.

"Of course! Shame you didn't make it into the better class though hahaha—-"

"Midoriya! Over here! Sit with the winner class," came Kirishima from nearby. Tetsutetsu scowled at this and looked over towards his red-haired rival.

Izuku chuckled a bit, people starting to not pay attention to them as much now.

"Thank you Tetsutetsu, for helping me out," Izuku continued. "But I won't go easy on you now that we're rivals!"

"Rivals?" Tetsutetsu laughed and patted Izuku hard on the shoulder. "That's right! I'll see ya in the field of battle!"

Izuku nodded to the other 1-B students who were eying him, and sat beside Kirishima. At the table was also Jiro, Ashido, Kaminari, Mineta, Shoji and finally Bakugo. The spiky-haired boy growled as Izuku sat nearby, turning away and rapidly eating his food.

"Hey hey Bakugo, you're gonna choke at that rate," Kirishima pointed out.

"Fuck off."

Bakugo shot up and walked away with his now empty tray. Everyone looked over at Izuku, who chuckled nervously.

"What's his issue? Is it because you broke his nose," Kaminari questioned with a snicker."

"That was the best! Really sticking it to the hierarchy," Mineta exclaimed.

"Kacchan and I just go way back," Izuku answered.

"Kacchan? Is that like.. a nickname?" Ashido pondered that for a second. "I didn't think he would do that sort of thing!"

Izuku didn't know how much he should tell his new classmates about his past or what he'd experienced over the first months of schooling, but he knew they'd see soon enough how he and Bakugo were when they're around each other, so he left that bit out.

After spending lunch talking about some of his studies and things he's done, Izuku felt bad like he was boasting about his accomplishments. Luckily, his new classmates didn't take it that way, and were excited about him.

Izuku was fitting right in so far.

* * *

The dreaded time came before Izuku knew it. Their afternoon classes ended and Aizawa returned for their Hero studies. The first thing he did, of course, was call on Izuku.

"Midoriya, you've picked, right?"

Izuku nodded, grabbing the white-board he had used and hiding his writing as he approached the podium at the front of the class. He looked out nervously, catching the cool collected eyes of Todoroki and the fiery anger in Bakugo's expression, before he looked down at the board.

"This would've been different a year ago," Izuku said. "B-But now I know this is what I want it to be."

Izuku remembered how his friends responded to the name when he told them at the festival. Everyone agreed it was very suiting, and that was all he really needed to confirm it.

"I'll be—"

He propped the small whiteboard up so everybody could see what he had written.

"The Quirkless Hero— 'Flow'!"

**To Be Continued**

**Izuku and Mei**


	40. Izuku and Mei

**Chapter Thirtyeight - Izuku and Mei**

After his first couple of days in the Hero class, Izuku knew that he would need to study hard if he was to pass the upcoming Final Exams. As if knowing his potential struggles, Momo Yaoyorozu had invited him to go with some others to her home for a study session.

"I-I think I have other plans, sorry," Izuku had replied. He had noticed Iida grabbing extra study materials and knew what he must be up to, approaching him when class ended and the weekend was set to begin.

"Ah Midoriya, I'm heading off for the day," Iida stated. "Have you got any plans for studying this weekend?"

Izuku shook his head. "I haven't… Were you heading to the hospital to give that girl our school work?"

"Shirui? Yes, as the class representative I've made sure she keeps up despite missing out on class," Iida confirmed.

"I see… Um, then—"

"Iida!" Izuku was interrupted from a cheery voice, and turned to see Uraraka approaching them. "Oh! Deku!"

"_Deku…._" Izuku was a bit taken aback by being called the nickname that Bakugo had always called him suddenly. It meant something along the lines of a "useless person" and stemmed from Bakugo twisting the kanji of Izuku's name to make fun of him.

"Oh, sorry— I've heard Bakugo call you that a lot," Uraraka said with a smile, clasping her hands together. "I thought it was pretty cool!"

Izuku blinked at the girl. "R-Really? Why?"

"Well, isn't it like '_Dekiru'..._? So, it means you can do anything and everything! He must really respect you!"

_That's the opposite of what Kacchan uses it for! _Izuku thought, chuckling nervously as he wasn't sure if he should correct the girl.

"Well… M-Maybe don't start calling him 'Kacchan', at least," Izuku stated, knowing it surprised the other students how he referred to Bakugo.

"I won't! I bet he'd try to blow me up!"

Izuku smiled with the girl. She was very cute and happy-go-lucky, which might've made it hard for him to even _try _to talk to her back in his Middle School days. But now his experience with girls was much more personal, so it was very easy to talk to the ones in Class A, especially thanks to their varied personalities.

"Ah, you wanted to come as well, Uraraka?" Iida nodded to her. "You already had to go last week though."

Uraraka nodded. "Of course! I've got some treats for Shirui!"

Iida nodded and gave a thumbs up. "She needs to recover as much energy as possible, so I hope they're healthy treats!"

"Umm… Sure!"

"Great! Will you accompany us, Midoriya?"

Izuku thought about it for a moment, gazing out the nearby window. It had been on his mind for the past couple of days, how he felt like he had taken someone else's seat, both physically and psychologically. Everyone in Class 1-A seemed to really respect Shirui. From his new classmates, Izuku learned exactly what had happened during the assault on USJ:

The Villains had arrived in order to kill All Might, but the Hero wasn't there, likely due to his injury inhibiting his abilities, though only Izuku knew that. During the assault, Aizawa-sensei had apparently held off dozens of villains by himself, until a really strong one came, one strong enough to even fight All Might.

From the descriptions, Izuku knew it was just like the creatures from the night the Hero Killer struck— A Nomu. Apparently Aizawa would have been seriously injured, but Shirui jumped into action and saved him using her Quirk.

_A Quirk that allows you to enhance other peoples Quirks, _Izuku had thought. _That's amazing…._

Aizawa's Quirk didn't allow him to erase mutation-type Quirks, as those were a part of a person's physical being, but when Shirui touched him and activated her Quirk, he was able to cause a negative effect in the Nomu, making his very absorbant skin ripple and faulter, allowing Aizawa to escape—

But this came at a cost, as the villain's leader, named Shigaraki, attacked and managed to ruin half of Shirui's face and her arm. From what it sounded like, his Quirk let him destroy anything he touched, and from only a few moments of grabbing her, he did a lot of serious damage.

Soon after, All Might and the other teachers had arrived, including Power Loader whom had left Class H, unfortunately leading to the Support class' villainous encounter as well. The teachers fought off the League of Villains, and only Shirui was left with severe injuries. Though Aizawa would never admit it, everyone in Class A believed that he changed a bit that day, after being saved by a student and failing to protect her.

Now, Izuku had a chance to go see that girl. He felt like he needed to confront the bad feeling in his stomach of guilt as he sat at what was once her seat.

"Yeah, I'd like to go," Izuku stated with a nod.

"Alright then, we should be able to go and leave before the sun sets," Iida stated, turning about-face and leading the way.

* * *

Musutafu General was the hospital Ameyoshi Shirui was staying at, and was located a little ways across town from U.A. Originally, the girl had been treated in U.A's nearby personal hospital ward for severe injuries to Heroes, until her condition had bettered and she could be put into a more normal setting.

Though as Izuku arrived with the other two students, he realized the situation was anything but 'normal'.

"W-Why is there so much security?"

Izuku looked around at all of the people in suits and shades outside and inside the building, looking like cliche' secret agents. There were a couple near the entrance, some acting casual in the hospital waiting room, and a couple more on the way to Shirui's room on the third floor.

They recognized Iida and Uraraka, but stopped Izuku and made him show his U.A student badge, before letting him through with suspicion in their voices.

"She's been watched closely, in case the League of Villains ever decided to come for her," Iida explained. "After all, she faced them head-on and survived an encounter with their boss."

"I-Is this all U.A's doing..?"

"Mostly Aizawa-sensei," Uraraka replied with a giggle. "Shirui doesn't have any parents or anything, so it's like he's acting like her over-protective Dad for now!"

"Aizawa-sensei, as a dad?" Izuku chuckled as he thought of the usually disheveled man.

They came to a door labelled "307," and Iida put his hand on the door handle.

"Excuse us!" With his call, he slid the door open and marched inside. "We've come to bring you your study materials!"

"Oh! I was wondering when you guys would swing by," came an unfamiliar, raspy voice from inside. Izuku followed Uraraka in, and laid eyes on the girl for the first time as she was sitting up in her hospital bed.

Ameyoshi Shirui was a slender pale-skinned girl, with slightly messy scarlet-red hair going past her shoulders and emerald-green eyes. On the right side of her face was the bandages masking her healing face, and her right arm was also heavily bandaged, just like Izuku had assumed from what he heard of her injuries.

"Shirui! I brought some snacks," Uraraka exclaimed as she approached the girl.

"Now _that's _what I've really been wanting," Shirui said with a chuckle. "Chocolates I hope?"

Iida huffed with disapproval at Uraraka, who laughed nervously.

"Uhhh yeah, b-but they say chocolates good for recovery!"

"I don't know about that," Shirui replied, before looking past the girl and seeing Izuku standing there. For a moment, they stared at each other, before Shirui turned away and frantically began to mess with her hair. "J-Jeez, you can't just bring someone new when I'm like this!"

Uraraka put her hands together in an apologetic gesture. "Sorry! This is Deku— I mean, Midoriya! He's the new student in our class!"

Shirui stopped messing with her hair and turned to Izuku, looking a bit surprised. He smiled a bit and gave a slightly awkward wave.

"H-Hi…"

"The Quirkless guy," Shirui said bitterly. "For real?"

Izuku gasped a bit. "Y-You know about me…?"

Shirui smirked. "Of course! I had plenty of time to watch the Sports Festival on TV and lament that I'm stuck here!"

"It's unfortunate," Iida told the girl as he set down the books and notes nearby. "I believe you would have done well!"

She laughed and waved a hand in front of herself dismissively.

"My Quirk is totally for Support only, so I doubt it… But then again," Shirui trailed off and looked to Izuku again. "You did beat the hell out of Todoroki."

"Y-Yeah," Izuku rubbed the back of his head nervously, recalling the fight. "It wasn't like it was easy, I lucked out a bit—"

"So they couldn't find _anyone _cool to take my place huh," Shirui interrupted him, speaking to Uraraka.

"Well—"

Iida threw a hand down in front of the girls, stopping them from saying anything further.

"Midoriya is a very good friend! I would trust him with my life," Iida insisted. "He deserves to be in the Hero course as much as anyone else!"

Shirui was surprised by Iida's words, looking from him to Izuku, before she burst out into laughter.

"Wow… I've never heard such praise from our stiff Class President," Shirui said through her laughter, before holding her bandages face. "It hurts to laugh this hard!"

"Be careful," Uraraka said worriedly. "Do you need anything?"

Shirui managed to stop her laughter, shaking her head, still smiling.

"Nah, I'll be fine," the girl insisted. "Thanks for coming… It's good to see someone who's not just here to ask questions or take blood or something."

"You're being released soon, aren't you?" Uraraka smiled and got excited. "We'll have twenty-one students in Class A! We're so lucky!"

"I don't think I'll be out in time for the practical of the Final Exam," Shirui said with a sigh. "But by next month I should be good to go!"

Izuku wasn't sure what to say during the encounter. He mainly watched Shirui and Uraraka talk while Iida offered more serious points of conversation. Eventually, when he was lost in his thoughts, he suddenly realized everyone was staring at him.

"H-Huh…?"

"I said," Shirui began, "I'm taking my desk back when I get back!"

"O-Oh…" Izuku wasn't sure what to say to that, but the girl smirked shortly after, so he chuckled and added, "I-I think Mineta would like that…"

Shirui scowled. "Right, don't remind me…"

They laughed, and it quickly came time for them to go, as the sky was turning to orange with the waning sunlight. Iida told her goodbye and left first to inform the guards outside something Aizawa had told him to say. Uraraka gave the girl a hug before heading off, and Izuku was left there last.

"I-I hope the rest of your recovery goes well," Izuku said with a bow to the girl.

"Man, you're really formal," Shirui commented, "I'm glad someone is there to fill my shoes at least. I hope you're helping to keep everyone in line."

"I guess so… Class A sure is unique," Izuku said.

"That's an understatement," Shirui said with a snicker. She then looked over towards the window, gazing out at the sky. "I'll never take it for granted again…"

Izuku looked towards the window as well. "What do you mean…?"

"Being around so many friends… It's all I've got for a family," Shirui stated, running a hand along her cast-covered right arm. "Hero work is dangerous… So you shouldn't ever leave any room for regrets, because you never know what'll happen to you tomorrow, ya know?"

Izuku nodded. He thought about his brushes with death. He had been in that very situation when he ran in blindly to attack the villain Kurogiri, nearly losing an arm or worse. Then when facing the Hero Killer, Izuku had suffered injuries and pain well beyond anything he had ever experienced before. Things could have gone horribly for him in either scenario, if nobody else was there to help him.

"I get it," Izuku said. "I-I'll watch over them til you return!"

He gave a deep bow, and Shirui chuckled.

"Thanks…"

With that, Izuku gave a smile before turning and leaving, slowly closing the door behind himself, leaving Shirui alone once more.

_No regrets…_

Shirui looked down at the bag of treats Uraraka had brought, remembering a time about a year ago that she regretted very much, involving a certain girl she hadn't seen since.

_Himiko..._

* * *

**~Mid-Chapter Break~**

**Name: **Ameyoshi "Amy" Shirui

**Age: **15

**Birth Date: **August 27th

**Quirk: Quirk Empowerment - **By making skin contact with a person, she can expend her body's energy to enhance their Quirk. The exact effect is different from Quirk to Quirk.

**Personality: **Protective, Straight-Forward, Kind, Thoughtful.

**Favorite Foods: **Japchae and Kimchi

**Power: 1 / 5 E - Speed 2 / 5 D - Technique 3 / 5 C - Intelligence 4 / 5 B - Cooperativeness 5 / 5 A**

* * *

Izuku had a lot to think about after parting ways with Iida and Uraraka and heading back home. When he arrived to his apartment, he ate his dinner without saying much and retreated to his room, forgoing studying for the time being to rest.

As he laid in his bed, Izuku looked at his phone. He now had most of his fellow 1-A students' contact information, and could see a group text going on about studying and slacking off. He chuckled a bit.

_Class A is really something… _He thought. But it wasn't long before he went back to what Shirui had said. _You never know what'll happen tomorrow huh…_

It was clear that Hero work was dangerous, even as a student, but Izuku thought he had it all under control for now. But he felt like something was gnawing at him about that fact, like perhaps he _did _have something he'd regret if something bad happened to him.

He pulled up a certain number and began to send a text:

"**Mei, are you still up?"**

It wasn't long before his phone vibrated.

**M: "What kind of question is that?!"**

**M: "Are you gonna lecture me like usual Mr Hero Man?"**

Izuku smiled and replied:

"**Do you want to study together this weekend?"**

**M: "You sure? I don't know if I know much hero stuff!"**

**M: "besides the stuff you always talk about"**

"**That's fine, I need to see y—"**

Izuku quickly smacked his backspace button and retyped that last one before sending it.

"**It's okay, I'll see you at noon at the workshop?"**

**M: "Okay! Bring snacks or Ill prolly die here!"**

"**Got it! See you then"**

With a sigh, Izuku set his phone down and laid on his left side, a habit he got into due to his injuries.

_What's this weird feeling in my stomach… _

Izuku's stomach felt tight, as if full of worry. He decided to ignore it for now, and forced himself to go to sleep early for the day tomorrow.

* * *

The next day, Izuku arrived at Mei's workshop with some takeout, surprised to find the garage door already opened, something the girl never really did.

"Mei…?" Izuku stepped inside and went to the back, finding the girl hunched over one of the work desks. "Something important?"

There was suddenly a _zap! _and the girl jumped back, nearly bumping into Izuku and making him drop the food.

"I did it! Aha!" Mei removed her goggles and smiled to Izuku, grabbing one of the waters he had brought and downing a bunch of it. "Thanks Izuku!"

"What were you working on?" Izuku set the food and drinks down nearby.

Mei ushered him closer, and they peered at what was on the desk: It was a petri dish with a small sample of something Izuku recognized.

"The sludge villain…?"

"Yup! It totally worked at disabling Bakugo's Quirk, so I've messed around with it some more," Mei exclaimed excitedly. "It's hard to create more of the stuff but look at this!"

Mei grabbed some metal pliers nearby and brought them slowly towards the small sample. Before they touched, a visible spark shot out from the sludge, hitting the pliers and making a loud popping noise, much like when a person discharges the static from their body.

"W-What was that?"

"I dunno! I managed to make it absorb electricity instead of being an insulator to it," Mei explained. "Now it seems like it's growing more and more charged overtime… See?"

Upon closer inspection, Izuku could see that the sludge was slightly moving and vibrating unnaturally.

"B-But how did you manage that?"

"Something like thermal reforming— When it's mixed around rapidly in hot air, it becomes more susceptible to outside influence," Mei said. "Like giving it a shock!"

"Wow… You're really becoming a mad scientist," Izuku commented.

"Yep!" Mei smiled, taking it as a compliment and putting the lid of the petri dish on the sample. "But imagine if this can be used in your Hero suit, to absorb and reflect elemental Quirk attacks!"

As Izuku pulled up a chair and they sat to eat, he thought about that prospect.

"Well, I don't know what they'll do for my suit at this point," Izuku said solemnly. "After all, I wore it illegally…"

"Yeah, they got me for that too," Mei said as she slurped up a bunch of noodles. "But they still said they'd take my design and use it for the most part!"

"Oh? That's great! It felt really good," Izuku exclaimed. "I can't imagine they can do better than you did by yourself!"

"There's always room for improvements," the girl said as she put her face to the cup and slurped a bunch. When she stopped she let out a happy sigh. "So good!"

Izuku chuckled, the girl's face a bit of a mess. He handed her some napkins, which she proceeded to use while managing to completely miss some of the mess. With a sigh he grabbed it and helped wipe it from her face.

"There we go," he said with a smile. Though he then realized it was a bit weird and looked away while blushing slightly.

"You're such a good guy Izuku," Mei commented with a laugh as he looked a bit embarrassed. "Protecting the people from stains of all kind!"

Izuku perked up a bit at this, but Mei continued eating as though nothing was wrong. She shouldn't know about the encounter with the Hero Killer, so he figured he must be paranoid and continued to eat.

"Say Izuku, I've never asked but… Have you ever had a girlfriend?"

Izuku gasped and choked on some chicken for a moment before coughing it back up into the container, taking a moment to breathe before looking at Mei, incredibly flustered.

"W-Where's that coming from?!"

"Well you're pretty dependable and always looking out for others," Mei pointed out. "I'm pretty sure that's something most girls would want!"

Izuku shook his head. "N-No way! I never had luck talking to girls… I guess that's changed now, b-but… I've never thought about it."

_**Badum, Badum, Badum.**_

The boy wasn't sure why his heart was beating so hard. He looked at Mei and then looked away again instinctively, unable to handle the girl's piercing gaze at this point.

"Hmm, so that means you've never even kissed a girl before?"

Izuku shot up out of his chair, nearly spilling his food before setting it down and turning away, his hand to his chin in thought.

"_K-Kiss… What is Mei talking about? Of course I've never had time to even think about doing such lewd things—"_

"Hey hey, you're muttering again!" Mei chuckled, and Izuku sat back down, hiding his face in his hands. "Jeez, you act like Shiro didn't try to grab your butt every day."

"That's—" Izuku sighed. "Different…"

"Oh yeah?" Mei smirked and leaned in. "Why's that?"

"T-That's Shiro! That's how she is," Izuku exclaimed nervously.

"Ohh so if _I _were to do it…" Mei purposefully trailed off as she acted like she was deep in thought.

"H-Hey, what are you imagining over there?"

"Nothin'!" Mei laughed, and Izuku chuckled a bit as well. He tried to go back to eating and stared down at his food, before Mei continued with, "What should I do the next time you try and get yourself killed?"

Izuku looked up, a bit surprised. Mei still had a slight smile as she swirled some noodles around in the cup, gazing down at it… But she looked oddly sad to him.

"I only used to care about my babies, and, well… They _still_ are my babies," Mei said. "But now I've got someone else to care about. So it's kinda weird now."

"I'm… sorry," Izuku started. "I—"

"It comes with Hero work right," Mei said, smiling up at him. "Remember, we totally faced danger together before, so it's not like I'm a stranger to it or anything."

Izuku nodded, looking down at his food, lost in thought. He didn't notice Mei's hand til she had already reached over and put it on his. He looked up at her and they gazed at each other in the dimly-lit workshop for a few moments.

"I'll keep making babies to protect you, as long as you promise not to go out and die, okay?"

Izuku chuckled softly at that.

"I promise…"

After they finished eating, Izuku helped Mei tidy up a bit, and they got to work on some ideas they both had from the Sports Festival, which they hadn't had time to work on since that event.

It was a very relaxing day for Izuku, even if he became the test subject for potentially dangerous devices, because he was with the person he trusted most. The inseparable friendship was a great reminder of Izuku's humble beginnings. It reminded him that he couldn't have made it as far as he has without the wild pink-haired girl who crash-landed in front of him that fateful day.

It had been a while since the last time he and Mei had sat in her workshop and worked the daylight away, so by the time the sun had started to set, Izuku ended up falling asleep at one of the work desks, lying his head on his arms.

Mei noticed shortly after, checking the time on a clock nearby amongst the piles of scrap, then standing and stretching before she approached Izuku.

She grabbed the blanket he had draped over her that Christmas several months ago, putting it over him and kneeling down beside him. For a moment, she watched his peaceful sleeping face, before leaning in close.

"Izuku?" Mei waited a moment, and he didn't seem to wake, so she continued. "Izuku… I really, really—-"

* * *

"—loved playing with you! But… couldn't you have made it a little more fun?~"

Somewhere in the dark alleyways of Tokyo, a girl with ash-blonde hair styled into two messy buns stood with a bloodied knife in her hand. Her yellow thin-slit eyes, nearly resembling that of a cat's, gazed ahead at her handiwork.

A teenaged boy was shivering and convulsing a bit, trying his best to hold the wounds he had suffered, as he gazed fearfully at the pretty girl who had dealt them to him.

The girl smiled, showing her sharp upper and lower canines.

"I guess not everybody is as cool as my Stainy~"

The girl started to lift the knife, but footsteps could be heard from not far off.

"This way!" It was a man's deep voice.

"Oops, guess I should go!~" The girl smiled and waved down to the boy, before skipping away, leaving him gasping and trying to yell for help.

With Heroes making chase, the girl nonchalantly made her way through the alleyways, eventually coming out to the street, where a slender Hero dawning a blue towel-like mask and blue spandex jumped out to stop her.

"Stop right there—"

Suddenly though, a man reached out and grabbed the Hero's head, making him gasp as his vision and mind became fuzzy. The man then slammed the Hero's head into the nearby wall, making him fall to the ground, unconscious.

"Looks like you're at the end of your rope," the man said, taking a drag of his cigarette. He had slightly unkempt gray hair and rounded glasses. He smirked, showing off that his middle top tooth was missing. "I'm Giran. You wanted to speak to the League, huh?"

The girl's eyes widened and she smiled, bringing her hands together excitedly.

"Yes! I want to continue Stainy's legacy if I can," she said happily.

"Good," Giran said with a nod, as a limousine pulled up beside him. He opened the door for the girl. "Then I'll take you to them."

Shouts could be heard from the alleyway as more Heroes were coming, so the girl got in, and Giran followed quick, before they drove off. By the time the Heroes arrived to find their fallen colleague, the two perpetrators were already gone.

"I don't usually get my hands dirty, I'm merely a broker," Giran explained as he tipped the ash from his cigarette into a tray, gazing at the girl who was sitting across from him. "The League is looking for new recruits, people who are ready to crush this society, or something along those lines."

As he took another puff of his cigarette, Giran looked out the window as they drove through Tokyo.

"We've still got one more person to pick up, he's apparently in a similar situation," Giran said. He looked over to the girl and smirked. "So what got you this far, Himiko Toga?"

Toga smiled widely, showing her sharp teeth as she pulled out a vial of blood from her recent victim, sipping at it as if it were a delicious brew of tea.

"I'm just living my best life— I just wanna love, live and die my way. My normal way. I wanna be even more like the people I love~"

She leaned her head back, licking some blood from her lips as she giggled slightly.

"I wanna become Stainy~"

Giran nodded and chuckled slightly.

"Well, you fit the bill alright."

The limousine headed off to pick up their next candidate for the League of Villains. Soon enough, the evil group would come together and truly begin to manifest its power…

The Heroes were going to need every advantage they could if they wished to win the growing conflict.

**To Be Continued**

**The Successor's Will**


End file.
